Experimental Werewolf
by spirithorse
Summary: First they were dogs. Then they were taken and changed, forced to become humans. Now, they want to put a stop to the experiments before anyone else is changed like they were. YxYY, BxR, YMxM
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: **This came out of a bout of nostalgia when I was watching an old favorite show of mine, Road Rovers. And, thus, this fic was born and it's for the cliché challenge, taking both the werewolf and m-preg cliché. Also, I'm not quiet sure the science and vet medicine is one hundred percent right, but I tried my best. Please try to ignore any inconsistencies with modern practices and I borrowed the idea of them being able to change with clothes from the books series _Animorphs_. Also, at the end of this chapter, I have the cast and which dog they are, so please, feel free to Google the dog breeds. I hope you enjoy this fic.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh; I just own the idea for the plot.

**Warnings: **Lemon, blood, male-pregnancy

**

* * *

Experimental Werewolf**

**Prologue**

He whimpered, slowly opening his eyes before shivering. This wasn't right. The shape of his den, the smells, the sounds; none of it was right. He rolled onto his stomach, tensing at the feeling of something around his neck. He growled, trying to turn his head so that he could see what it was. From the position and scent it reminded him of those thing others of his kind would wear; the ones that were attached to a human.

He twisted, trying to get at the thing around his neck so he could bite through it, snarling when the angle made it impossible to reach. He turned his head back around, turning in the small space that he was given to try and claw it off; slumping when he realized that he couldn't get it off that way. Shifting around the small den that he had been given, he found a place to lie down on the cold metal, settling himself down to wait. Patience was something that he had a lot of, coming from his life on the streets.

He must have fallen asleep because when he opened his eyes everything had changed. He licked his lips, realizing that he was thirsty. Trapped as he was, there was no way to get water. He looked around his new den, disappointed when there was no water. He huffed and turned to focus on the room that he could see through the grate at the front of his den.

There was movement in the room, some of it coming from the shadowed dens on the other side of the room. He tipped his head before standing up, yelping as his head hit the top of the den. He sunk back down, tipping his head to the side to see what he had hit before wiggling forward so he could better see out of the grate.

His ears pricked forward as he listened to the other sounds in the room. There was the soft drone of a human contraption, but that was almost drowned out by the sounds of other dogs; other dogs moving around or crying. He growled to himself, shifting so his side was pressed against the grate to test how far he could look into the room, disappointed when his line of vision was restricted.

He slumped back to the ground, absently scratching at the thing around his neck, slowing the movement of his back leg as the sounds suddenly stopped. His eyes moved to stare at the door as it opened, two people walking into the room. The first person was carrying something, dumping the thing on the table in the center of the room and leaning over it. The second human moved quickly to the front of the thing, staring at it before looking up at the other person, speaking the strange language that the humans spoke. He couldn't understand it, but he could tell the emotions behind the voices.

One was nervous and one was uncaring.

The nervous man was gesturing wildly, pointing at the thing on the table then the dens that were set up around the room, the uncaring man just shrugging, prodding at the thing before hissing. The suddenly became silent, the two of them staring down at the thing before looking up at each other. The nervous man went to touch the thing, the second man pushing him away, taking something from around the thing's neck before tossing it carelessly aside.

He moved back from the front of his den, staring at the thing as it knocked against the front, standing up partially to look at it as it fell to the floor. His attention was attracted by the men as they stared talking again, the uncaring man speaking despite the fact that the nervous man was obviously trying to tell him something. The argument continued for a time until the uncaring man shouted, knocking aside one of the metal things on the table.

He scrambled back as the metal bounced on the floor, his breaths coming quickly as the two men stared at each other before the nervous man backed down, walking out of the room. The uncaring man watched him go before picking up the thing on the table and storming over to one of the empty dens, throwing the thing inside and locking it in. The man then picked up a flat thing, seeming to be staring at something on it before walking down the row of dens, quickly finding whatever he was looking for. The flat thing was put up and the man reached into the den, pulling out another dog.

This one was white, like the other one had been, and it was struggling, looking incredibly frightened. The man attached a long lead to the thing around the dog's neck, placing the dog on the ground before beginning to walk out of the room, the dog scrambling at the slick floor as it shouted. "No! Save me, please!"

The man yanked the dog out of the door before the door slammed shut behind them. He took the chance to creep to the front of his den, unnerved by the sudden silence that filled the room. He turned his head, watching the thing that had been shoved into one of the dens, slowly realizing that it was a dog, but it didn't smell like a dog, not completely. He watched it for a while before turning his head away, realizing that it was probably dead, so it was nothing to worry about.

Instead, he watched the door, waiting for something else to happen. It was obvious from the way that the other dogs went back to whatever they were doing that this was normal. He sighed and laid down, resting his head on his paws, staring out into the room and wondering what he had done for this to happen to him.

* * *

He had lost track of time, no longer able to see when the sun or moon was up. He was trapped in this small room, inside his small den, with other dogs all around him. At first, it had been annoying. He had been used to being on his own, mostly by his own choice, but he had gotten used to it. As he had quickly gotten used to the monotony.

Twice a day food was shoved into his den, the food dry and disgusting tasting, but it was the only thing that they got. Sometimes, if they were lucky, some of the men who wore thick black things on their arms and moved clumsily around the room, a piece of meat would be among the food. But you saved that piece of meat for last. Water was pushed in four times a day. And that was the only schedule that he knew, the monotony close to driving him crazy.

The monotony was only broken when the uncaring man came back into the room, taking a dog away. Sometimes the dogs came back. Most of the time they did not, the man just walking back in for the next dog. The white dogs that he had seen taken and brought back his first day in this hell were both alive, the second one had been one of those lucky ones that had come back. Neither of them had moved for a while before they had started to move around, remaining quiet.

The only other thing that broke the repetition was when they had brought in another dog. He had been at the front of his den at this time, watching from when the uncaring man had led out another, thick coated dog away, mentally debating whether that dog would make it back alive. The last three had all never come back.

The door had opened too soon for it to be the uncaring man to be back, so he had remained alert, watching as a large dog had been dragged in by four humans, the dog fighting the entire time. It had taken all four humans to cram the dog into his new den, leaving the dog to pace and snarl. But the snarls had soon stopped.

He shifted, crossing his paws before resting his muzzle on them, still staring out into the room. It was the only thing he could do now, stare into the room and wait for his food and water. Or wait to be dragged out of his den so they could clean it. He sighed, letting his eyes fall shut.

He wanted to get out of this hell and back to his streets. His territory and reputation would be in shreds by now, but he could always fix that easily. He was stronger and faster than most of the other dogs in the area. All he needed to do was fight his way to the top again. After all, he had done it once.

His stomach rumbled, reminding him that it had been a while between the feedings. He snarled to himself and glared at the door. Even on his worst days on the street, he had always managed to find _something_ to tide him over, even if it did come to hunting pigeons. He looked up as the door opened, hoping that it would be the people with food, but he froze at what did come through the door.

Never had one of the dogs returned under their own steam. Not only was this one conscious, but it was putting up a fight. He leaned forward a bit, watching as the dog was dragged into the room, shivering at the insane laughter that came from it. The uncaring man cursed, fumbling with something before pulling a muzzle out into the open, fighting to put it on the dog before he began to drag it to its den. The dog snarled, alternating between the threat and the insane laughter that was putting him on edge.

Finally, the dog was thrown into the den, the sound of its insanity muffled by the metal and the distance. Still not sure that he was safe, he peered out, watching the uncaring man look around the room before staring at him. He shivered and backed up until he hit the back of the den, turning his head to stare at the metal before looking back to the front, growling as the man reached in. He bared his teeth as a threat before reaching out to bite the man, missing as he was hit on the head. He reeled, the disorientation lasting long enough for the man to tie the lead to the collar around his neck before he was dragged from the den.

He tried to dig his claws into the floor, whimpering as they easily scrapped over it before he was dragged towards the door. He snarled and backed up, shaking his head to wiggle free from the collar, coughing when it tightened, but didn't come loose. He looked up at the man, yelping when he was jerked forward, the move forcing him to his feet and pulling him towards the door.

He dug his claws in again, being pulled to the door even as he fought. He would _not_ be taken like this. He would find a way to escape and get back to his life on the street. He didn't want to stay in this hell and be tortured like this, he wanted to go home. He snarled and shook his head, trying to back away again, but he was distracted by the sound of laughter. He looked over at the den where the insane dog had been placed, shivering at the dark purple eyes that watched him.

"Away you go. You're not coming back. You're not coming back." The dog burst into laughter again, leaning on the grate in front of the den, never allowing him to break eye contact. "Bye-bye."

"No, wait!" His voice cracked as he spoke for the first time in what seemed like forever. "Help!"

"Too late for you; too late! Not coming back!"

He scrambled for purchase on the slippery floor as he was dragged out of the door, barking as the door shut behind him. He stared at the door before lunging for it, yelping as he was kicked in the side, stumbling until he hit a wall. He stared up at the uncaring man, shocked that such an action had been taken against him. Before he had time to retaliate, he was being dragged down the hall.

He went back to fighting, snarling as the man continued to ignore him, wanting nothing more than to shout insults at the man, but he had to save his breath for fighting. He was _not_ going to be killed or changed into a raving lunatic like that other dog nor was he going to slip into the silence of the others. He was going to fight until the end.

Another kick was dealt to him, sending him tumbling towards the wall again, slightly dazed as he was dragged the rest of the way down the corridor and tossed into the room. He scrambled up to his feet, lunging for the man but he was stopped as someone else grabbed him. He snarled and turned his head to snap at them, yelping as he was dragged towards the pillar at the center of the room, the collar around his neck attached to the chain that ran from the pillar. He glanced back at it, trying to figure a way out when he heard the door slam, tensing as silence descended on the room.

He began to pace after a moment, whimpering as he realized that something was going on. No matter how much the humans tried to clean up, they couldn't quite get rid of the smell of other dogs. That smell and the scent of death. He snarled and moved as far away as the chain would allow him, wanting to get away from it.

The soft drone of the human's machines cut of abruptly, the sudden complete silence making him tense. He turned his head toward the door, tongue lolling out as he panted. Then there was the soft whine of something warming up before pain rushed through him.

He screamed, falling to the floor and writhing as his limbs felt like they were being set on fire. He felt his bones begin to twist awkwardly, his screams suddenly stopping as his throat became raw. He had been without water for too long to be able to keep up any sound. Eventually, weak from the pain and lack of food, he could only twitch as the pain began to roll through him, closing his eyes.

It was no better not being able to see; he just had to lay there as let the pain roll through him, barely aware of what was happening around him. Soon, it became all too easy to just tune out what was going on with him as well. It was all too easy to just want to float away and leave. After all, his body would be useless after this; there was no way that he was not physically harmed from so much pain. There would be no way to escape and no way to win back the life that he had. It would be better to give up than to live as a cripple. Cripples died alone and ignored, and he didn't want to end up alone, not like that.

He had been a loner by choice, not because the others had labeled him an outcast.

He moaned as the pain came to a stop, partially relieved and disappointed when he realized that he was still alive. He allowed himself to rest on the floor, feeling the tingling in his limbs slowly fade away before he pushed himself off the ground, his legs trembling oddly before giving out. He caught himself before he could fall, panting for breath as he realized something. None of his limbs were working right. Everything seemed out of place.

He was ready to sink to the floor again when he heard the door open, forcing his eyes open before he turned to look, watching one of the men rush in, but his mind was too muddled to figure out whether it was the nice one or the man who had dragged him here.

The man helped him up, guiding him over to the pillar to sit before turning to glare at the other person who stood at the door. "You said that that other one would be the last!"

"And he is."

"No!" The kind man shook his head. "That white dog, the one that you did this to weeks ago. That was going to be the last!"

"I didn't expect either of them to survive." He heard the man crossing the room, trying to glare through his unfocused eyes. He didn't have any strength to pull away from the uncaring man as he squatted beside him. "Hm, it does appear that withholding food and water from them lowers the chance of death from the radiation. Interesting."

"You've starved this one!"

"Not starved."

"It means the same thing and you know it! You promised me that you had stopped these inhumane experiments." The kind man stood up, glaring at the uncaring man the uncaring man just brushing off his sleeve before standing up again.

"To be able to continue with your advances I must continue with these so called 'inhumane experiments'. Or would you rather have everything you are working for coming to nothing? My side of this company is the half that supplies the money for your side. It's amazing we stay afloat because of the way you are draining us."

"Just because I refuse-"

"I have no time for this." The kind man was cut off, the uncaring man glaring down at him. He shivered and pressed himself back up against the pillar, wincing as he realized that it was cold. He looked up at the uncaring man, waiting to see what would happen. "Can you understand us?"

"Yes."

"Good. Return to your original form."

"W-what?"

"Do as I say!"

"He doesn't know what you are talking about!" The kind man turned to look back at him, kneeling beside him again. "Do you know where you are?"

"It's where he takes the others."

"Good. Do you know what you are?"

He blinked at the statement, tipping his head to the side. "I am what I have been since my birth."

"No, not anymore. You've changed."

"Changed?" He looked down at himself, his eyes widening as he slowly realized what had went on. He didn't have any fur covering him, which was why he was shivering, and everything was placed wrong. He looked nothing like he once had. He looked…human. He gave a whimper and looked up at the kind man. "What happened?"

"Success." The uncaring man answered instead. "Now change."

"You made me like this." He growled and stood up slowly, unused to the balance that standing on two legs required, but he managed to do it. He would not allow himself to be intimidated by this man. "You altered me so that I am no longer as I was. I cannot change myself back."

"If you can't, then you are of no use to me." He stared at the uncaring man, blinking in confusion before turning his head away. He was forced to look back at the uncaring man the next moment, the man glaring at him. "You will change back before I kill you!"

"You can't!"

"Shut up!"

He lunged forward as the uncaring man went after the kind man, choking as he reached the end of the chain. He reached up to claw at the collar around his neck before snarling, wanting nothing more than to rip the uncaring man to shreds for what had happened to him. Then he felt it, like something sliding back into place, and he was changing again.

Bone and muscle shifted until they had righted themselves, sliding back into their normal places as he was forced back to the ground. His limbs quivered for a moment, weak from the sudden change before he forced himself to stand upright, still snarling at the uncaring man. He watched as the man paused, looking at him for a long while before laughing. "I guess you could do it after all."

He forced himself not to show the surprise on his face, remaining on guard as the uncaring man tied the lead back on, releasing him from the chain and beginning to drag him back down the hallway. He struggled this time, trying to bite through the lead to escape, only to be slammed into a wall, the uncaring man's hand around his muzzle. "Learn to respect me or you will regret it."

"Respect is earned."

"Not here." He was let down from the wall and shoved into the room where all the cages where. He shook his head at the introduction of the new word before he was shoved into his cage, the lead taken from him before the door was locked. He turned to snarl at the uncaring man before his attention was taken by the laughing dog from before.

"So you survived. You became like the rest of us."

"I didn't want to."

"But you are strong. You lived. So few of us live in this room."

He snarled pawing at the grate. "What are you talking about?"

"Can't you smell the death in the room?" The dog laughed, backing into the shadows of his cage. "No one else will live."

The insane dog was right, none of the other dogs survived after him, the uncaring man either killing them in the room or starving them to death trying to find the proper balance. There were only six of them left, all six of them living off the scarce food that they were given, waiting for the moment that they would be dragged out and never return and listening to the few moments that the insane dog had to rant. Surprisingly, the insane dog kept to himself, probably because the dog didn't have the energy to do anything else but exist. He was quickly getting to that point himself, spending most of his days sprawled out on the metal floor of his cage, staring out into the nearly empty room.

* * *

For the first week after his transformation, he had been afraid that he was going insane, the sudden input of new words, concepts and colors flooding into his brain. His other senses had remained the same, maybe a little bit improved, but that was probably because of whatever they had done to him to get him to turn into a human. But it had been stressful, trying to sort out everything and deal with it, especially the sudden understanding that he could speak and understand the human language, his vocal cords allowing him that much.

Now, there was just mind numbing monotony, leaving him wishing for a way out. Anything happening was better than just remaining here at the mercy of that man. His upper lip curled at the thought, forcing the snarl back. He didn't have the energy for a display of anger, which was probably what the uncaring man was counting on. If they couldn't fight back, then he could do whatever he wanted to.

He perked up as someone came rushing into the room, standing up as he recognized one of the men, his senses still too muddled from the change to recognized which one it was. But, then again, they must have done something to themselves in the first place because he had almost never been able to recognize one from the other. He watched with interest as the man began to unlock the cages that held the dogs that were still alive, urging them to leave.

He stepped back as his own cage was opened, waiting until the man had passed before he stepped out onto the floor, watching as the other dogs ran out. But he remained behind, turning to look as the man let out the insane dog, removing the muzzle. He shifted nervously under the gaze of those dark purple eyes before he turned and ran, listening to the insane dog race after him, following the others down the twisting corridors. He increased his speed as he heard the sound of people shouting, quickly outrunning the two white dogs as hit began to sprint.

He dodged around the golden retriever, glancing back to see that the insane dog was easily keeping pace with him, running just off his left side. He blinked at that, shaking his head before concentrating on reaching the still open door before the people realized what was going on. He was momentarily distracted by the sight of the husky running in front of him glancing back and growling. He slowed for a moment before taking the challenge; besides, it would be a smart move to get out of here as fast as possible.

He flattened his ears and picked up his speed, paws slipping a bit as they came in contact with the floor, but he began to gain ground, easily catching up with the husky. He gave the husky a smile before forcing himself faster, trying to make it appear effortless even as his breath came in quick pants. He pulled away, partially aware of the insane dog trying to keep pace even as the husky tried to gain back his lead. He was about to turn and growl at the husky, the idea put out of his mind as he was forced to focus on the route of escape.

Two people rounded the corner at a run, taking a look at the six of them before rushing to shut the door that led outside. He growled, deciding to take out the one on his right, slowing a bit to do so, when the insane dog rushed forward, tackling the person on his left, the husky repeating the maneuver on his right. He hesitated for a moment before rushing to the door, shouldering it open wider before darting through, standing guard as the three others ran past. He was about to run after them, but something told him to stay, waiting until the insane dog and the husky had escaped before going to catch up with the others.

Ahead, the larger white dog was sniffing around, pausing before taking off in one direction. As one, they decided to follow it, racing along the fence until the dog stopped, staring at a spot before pawing at the ground. The golden retriever bounded up to dig at the spot when the gate close by swung open, all six of them backing against the fence.

Headlights on the front of a car flashed before the car was stopped, a man with long aqua hair scrambling out of the driver's seat before opening the back door of the car. "Come on!"

They all looked at each other for a moment before they began to rush for the car, the smallest white dog having to be nearly thrown into the car. He was the last one in, scrambling up into the front seat, much to the annoyance of the husky. But, instead of challenging him, the husky just growled before sitting. He glanced back at the husky before he was distracted by the appearance of the driver, pressing himself back into the seat as the man quickly spun the car around and sent it speeding out of the enclosure.

For a while, they traveled in silence, the man glancing back at his rearview mirror many times before finally relaxing, slowing down a bit and glancing back at the dogs. "Alright?"

There were muffled grunts of agreement before the driver focused back on the road. He stared at the man for a while before speaking. "Why did you save us?"

"Because what my brother was doing was wrong." The driver's hands clenched on the steering wheel for a moment before he forced himself to relax. "The police were coming because I reported what he was doing, I didn't want to be a part in it anymore. But they would have killed you all because they would think that you were in too much pain or contaminated. My brother would have found a way to get rid of all of you and I couldn't let that happen."

"Where are you taking us?"

"Somewhere safe. I'll feed you and let you get some rest before we move on."

"To where?"

The driver sighed, glancing at the rest of the dogs through the rearview mirror before looking back at him. "I was hoping that you would help me."

"Help _you_." The husky gave a cold laugh. "Why would we help the person who was part of that?"

"Because I'm going to end it. Just think, no more dogs treated like that and my brother shut down. I don't think you will ever be normal, but you could help others."

He turned to glare at the husky, watching as the dog turned away before he looked back at the driver, speaking for all of them since no one else had argued. "We will help you."

"Good. We'll rest for the night before taking you to Domino City." When he tipped his head to the side, the driver proceeded to elaborate. "Gekkou, my brother, has another one of his labs there. I plan on traveling to the other holding areas and creating teams of dogs to watch over his labs in the cities."

"And the plan?"

The driver smiled. "We'll place you in homes or on the streets to keep your eyes and ears open. I'm almost sure that Gekkou will evade the police this time and will start in one of the other places. Hopefully, the holding areas will be clear by then."

He nodded, glancing back to see if anyone else had a problem with the plan. His gaze lingered on the husky before the dog gave a reluctant nod. He turned back to front. "Then we will help you."

The man smiled, easing the car to a faster pace. "Thank you."

* * *

Akhnamkanon sat up as the doorbell rang, glancing over to where his daughter struggled through her homework before standing up from the table and walking to answer it. He moved through the hallway of the modest house, his gaze lingering over the picture of their family before turning away, opening the door. He blinked in surprised at the man who stood there, distracted by the slightly wild eyes and the aqua hair.

The man gave him a smile before reaching out to shake his hand. "I'm Yakou Tenma. We spoke on the phone about adopting a dog?"

"Oh yes, one of the dogs from those labs."

Yakou nodded before digging in his pocket for papers and pulling them out. "Here are his papers certifying him as clean from anything harmful. But there is one thing that I want to warn you about." Yakou looked around before glancing at the ground. "I'd rather not speak about it out here."

Akhnamkanon blinked before gesturing for Yakou to come it, stepping to the side and letting the man in. His eyes widened as he saw the dog that waited behind the man, hesitating before looking up at Akhnamkanon. Unsure of what to do as he stared into the red-brown eyes of the dog, he gestured for the animal to enter, watching the dog's tail give a wag before it trotted into the house. He followed Yakou and the dog into the kitchen, watching as Mana looked up and gave a squeal.

"Is this him?" He nodded, Mana squealing again before dropping to her knees beside the dog, the animal looking confused before allowing her to pet him, slowly warming up to the girl until his tail was wagging constantly as she scratched him behind the ears. Mana giggled before hugging the dog. "He's perfect, Daddy."

Yakou cleared his throat, drawing Akhnamkanon's attention away from his daughter and the dog and back to the man. The papers were carefully set on the table before the man turned to look at Akhnamkanon. "About two years ago the army asked for my brother and I find a way to provide more soldiers without making it appear as if there were more humans. My brother had the idea to use dogs, finding a way to use radiation to force their DNA to switch to a half state between human and dog, allowing them to change freely back and forth. Sadly, these experiments were horribly inhumane. Now, the radiation is harmless but he can change into a human and understand all we are saying. Right?"

The dog gave a slow nod. "Some of it."

Akhnamkanon was started at the deep voice of the dog, watching as Mana stared at the dog before scooting a little further away. The animal looked at both of them before looking up at Akhnamkanon, the man slightly disturbed by the way the lights in the kitchen seemed to bring the red out in the dog's eyes. "I am here to help others that might fall into Gekkou's trap and I would be honored and eternally grateful if I was allowed into your home. In return, I would protect your pup and belongings to the best of my ability."

Akhnamkanon shook his head, not in response to the dog's statement, but to the fact that he could talk. He looked back at Yakou, the man sighing and leaning slightly on the kitchen table. "Please, he needs a place to stay. I know that the talking thing is a bit odd, but he's a good dog. And, if you don't want him as a dog, I have the adoption papers for one teenage boy."

He turned to look back at his daughter and the dog, watching as Mana carefully scooted closer to the dog before resting a hand on his head, staring into his eyes before looking up at her father. "Daddy, can he stay?"

And he was caught at that. He couldn't resist Mana when she was like that. Part of him wanted the dog, needing something else to fill the silence of the house, the empty space that his wife had left behind. Besides, the dog could always protect Mana, which would ease his fears a bit as she was growing up and spent a lot of time home alone. There was a plus in having a dog that could actually speak to the police or any emergence service.

He finally nodded, turning back to the table. "We'll take him as however he wants to be."

"I'd prefer a dog, but I could always change to suit the situation."

Mana laughed, throwing her arms around him in a hug. The dog gave her a strange look, tilting his head to the side as she pulled back. "Do you have a name?"

"I…" The dog shook his head. "Not that I recall. Some of my memories were lost when I was experimented on. My name is lost to me."

"Oh." Mana stood up, walking around the dog before looking up at her father. "Dad, what should his name be?"

"His papers say that he's a Pharaoh Hound." Akhnamkanon laughed. "Like we needed another Egyptian in this family."

Mana pretended to pout, Akhnamkanon ignoring his daughter's look by staring at the dog. The animal pulled himself up straighter under the scrutiny, meeting Akhnamkanon's eyes. Finally, he shook his head, a smile on his face. "Atemu."

"Atemu?"

"Yes, Mana. Can't you see he's got the mind and manners of a pharaoh? So he will be given a pharaoh's name." Akhnamkanon smiled before leaning over to sign the adoption papers, standing up straight as Yakou looked them over before nodding, handing him the appropriate copies of everything.

"You are now the proud owner of one rescued Pharaoh Hound. Take care of him." Akhnamkanon escorted Yakou to the door, letting him out before locking he door and walking back into the kitchen, sitting down in a chair and watching as Mana reluctantly returned to her homework. His gaze drifted from her to Atemu, who had settled down on the floor of the kitchen, watching the two of them with a content look on his face.

_

* * *

_

_Alright, as promised, the list of the cast and what dogs they are. I apologize for not describing them too often in the fic, but I felt like it would bog it down too much. Yami-Pharaoh Hound, Ryou - English Cocker Spaniel, Joey -Golden Retriever, Marik –Vizsla, Seto- Siberian Husky, Bakura - American Eskimo Dog, Yugi - Shiba Inu, Malik - Ibizan Hound._

_Please read and review._


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

Solomon Mutou watched the last customer leave his game shop, giving the young man a wave before beginning to go through the steps of closing his shop. He pulled the money out of the cash register, counting it carefully before writing down the day's profits, in case his mind finally started deceiving him. He would record them in his books, but he had something more important to do first. Solomon smiled as he slid the register drawer shut, taking out his keys and locking it for the night. He slipped the money into an envelope, bending down to open the safe that sat under the counter to retrieve the money from the rest of the week. Tonight was the night that he would detour to the bank.

He stepped out from behind the counter, carefully sweeping out the shop, waving at the people that passed, most of them calling out their own greetings. But none of them stayed to chat, they knew what happened after Solomon closed his shop. The elderly man hummed to himself as he finished sweeping out the simple game store, replacing the broom before walking over to the stairs. He stood at the bottom, waiting for a while before cupping his hands around his mouth and calling up the stairs, "Yugi!"

Silence followed his shout for a moment, the house and shop that was attached to it remaining still for a while. Then, there was the faint sound of jingling, the sound moving closer to the top of the stairs. The jingling stopped for a moment before a dog peered around the corner, his mouth opening in a smile as he moved from behind the corner to the top of the stairs, his tail waging and his large purple eyes shining.

Yugi gave a happy little wiggle before bounding down the stairs, trotting to a stop right in front of Solomon, sitting on the ground and wagging his tail. The elderly man laughed, reaching down to scratch the Shiba Inu's perked ears, Yugi leaning into the sign of affection. "Ready to go?"

The dog gave a little yip, standing up and trotting over to the door, waiting with ill concealed impatience for Solomon to hurry up, his little body wiggling as he tried to contain his excitement. Solomon laughed, retrieving the leash that hung buy the door, Yugi standing up on his hind legs to speed the process of putting the leash on. He landed back on all four paws, eagerly bounding out the door before moving to the end of the leash, trotting back and forth over the sidewalk outside of the shop, sniffing at the concrete.

Solomon shook his head at the dog's antics before turning back to the shop, flipping the sign to closed before locking the door and slipping the keys in his pocket. He turned to find Yugi looking at him, the dog tilting his head to one side before wagging his tail, the smile appearing back on his face and trotting off in the usual direction of their walk, Solomon chuckling before following the young dog, adjusting his course so their daily walk would take them close to the bank.

He walked slowly, watching as Yugi darted from side to side, sniffing at the ground before settling into an even trot, the dog's tongue lolling. Yugi glanced back at Solomon once, wagging his tail before focusing on the sidewalk ahead of him, the elderly man smiling at the dog's antics. One would never guess that Yugi was four years old instead of the puppy stages that his behavior pointed to, but Solomon wouldn't have the little dog any other way.

He had purchased Yugi while he was still a little puppy, trying to find something that would ease the silence of the house around him. His daughter had grown up and moved away, happily married to her husband. They both worked in business, traveling around the world and spending all their free time with each other. And, while he was happy that his daughter was enjoying her life, he wished that she would return to visit him more often. Unfortunately, their jobs always came before visits home.

Solomon had asked about grandchildren once, more as a joke, but his daughter had glared at him for the comment, taking him aside to explain. "Neither of us wants children, Dad. I thought you understood that."

"You never said so outright so I assumed that it was under the category of later."

His daughter had sighed, shaking her head. "It's under the category of never, Dad. Eric doesn't want children and neither do I."

"If that makes you happy…"

"It does." She had smiled and kissed his cheek. "Thanks for understanding Dad."

And he did understand, although it still didn't help. With children, his daughter might have been more inclined to visit him. But hoping would only get him so far. Besides, he had Yugi now, and the dog was enough for him.

With his daughter away on endless business trips, he only had Yugi for company and he had settled into life with the dog nicely. He would open his game shop and Yugi would lay behind the counter with him for most of the day, retreating upstairs during the rush hours to sleep and eat, always returning when it was time for his walk. In the evening, Solomon would catch an hour of the news before trying to find something else to watch on television, often ending up on the History Channel. Yugi would show up for this last bit, sitting at Solomon's feet and staring at the screen eagerly.

His daughter chided him for getting such a young pet in his old age, asking him what would happen to Yugi if he were to die suddenly. She had gotten more annoyed when Solomon pointed out that the whole neighborhood would try and take care of Yugi because they had all come to love the small dog. Of course, she had also been annoyed that he had bought the runt of the litter, always pointing out on the rare occasion that she did visit that Solomon should have gotten a larger dog to protect him instead of the small runt. But Solomon was happy with his choice and it appeared that Yugi was too.

After making the deposit at the bank, Solomon turned Yugi towards the park, the dog happily bounding ahead on the leash before he remembered his manners, settling back by Solomon's side. The elderly man smiled down at his dog, watching as Yugi leaned forward, wanting to walk faster to get to his favorite part of the walk but the dog remained at his side. "Good boy."

Yugi glanced up at him and wagged his tail before concentrating on the sidewalk ahead of them. Solomon glanced down at his watch, disappointed that he would have to cut Yugi's walk short to get back to the game shop before it became too dark out to see. These walks were the only times Yugi got to leave the house and fenced in backyard to stretch his legs and get rid of some of the nearly endless energy that the little dog seemed to possess.

They entered the park, Yugi immediately lowering his nose to the ground and sniffing at the gravel path and the grass, straying a bit from Solomon's side before drifting back. The elderly man allowed Yugi to have his moment of exploration, laughing as the little dog perked up as they entered a more heavily wooded section, Yugi forgetting himself and bounding around to investigate everything. "Yugi…"

He looked up at his name, his eyes widening before he shuffled back to Solomon's side, looking apologetic. The elderly man couldn't help himself, kneeling down on the ground and rubbing Yugi's ears. He stopped as Yugi tensed, standing up and looking around. Solomon remained kneeling on the ground, waiting to see what would happen. He was beginning to relax when he realized that it was just nothing, Yugi had probably just heard a squirrel when he heard a sound that he had never heard from his dog before.

Yugi was growling.

Solomon quickly stood up, looking around. Yugi never growled or snarled, the little dog was too mild mannered for that. He thought he heard something moving in the woods, but he was distracted from it by the appearance of the brown and tan dog in front of them. Solomon stared at the dog, shocked when Yugi tugged on the leash, growling more as he tried to pull away from Solomon. The elderly man scowled, giving the leash a short tug. "Yugi!"

The little dog didn't look back at him, continuing to growl and snarl at the dog. Solomon was about to pull Yugi back and scold him when he stopped himself. Yugi would have a good reason for doing this, he was just trying to protect him and Solomon trusted his dog. He began to back up, watching as Yugi glanced back at him before doing the same, the two of them heading for open ground.

Suddenly, something plowed into him, knocking him to the ground. Solomon let out a gasp of surprise, letting go of the leash as he fell. He got a glimpse of red fur before the thing that had hit him disappeared. He sat up, eyes widening as he heard a yelp, seeing Yugi pinned by the large black and tan dog. He scrambled to his feet, intending to go and help Yugi out when another dog, this one with a mottled red and white coat stood between him and Yugi, snarling. Solomon looked around, picking up a stick to use against the red dog when he heard a yelp, looking up in time to see the black and tan dog easily pick up Yugi from the ground and begin to run away.

"No! Yugi!" He saw the little dog biting at the larger dog that carried him, but Yugi was still too small to do anything. Solomon leaned on his stick as the mottled red dog raced away after the others, seeing another glimpse of red and then yellow as two more dogs joined in racing after the others. Solomon stumbled after them, his legs shaking as he came to the collar and leash that rested on the path, picking them up slowly.

He carefully held the black leather collar in his hands, staring at the golden triangle that hung point down, glittering in the dying sunlight, staring at Yugi's name engraved in the metal. He felt tears starting to fill his eyes before he shook them away, his hand clenching around the leather collar before he gathered up the leash so he wouldn't trip over it. He was going to get his dog back.

Solomon squared his shoulders before marching off into the woods, heading in the direction that he had seen the dogs running in.

* * *

Yugi was trembling by the time that the three dogs brought him into a blank room, watching in fear as a man with blonde hair walked in and quickly chained him to a post. Yugi whimpered as the three dogs and the man scurried out of the room, leaving him to shiver on the floor.

What had he done wrong?

He had just been enjoying his walk with the old man who shared his home with him when he had smelled the four dogs. None of them had come out directly, but had snuck around and, in Yugi's opinion, that had been wrong. So he had done the only thing he could think of, he had tried to be as fierce as possible. He liked the old man that he lived with, liked it better than when he was with his siblings. They had teased him, the old man had loved him.

Yugi whimpered and curled up on the floor, tucking his nose under his tail. What if he had done something wrong and hadn't known it? He tried to be a good boy, he liked it when the old man laughed and smiled at him. And he never got yelled at, just spoken to sternly. While he couldn't understand the language that the old man spoke, he could understand the tone.

As far as he could remember, he had been a good boy. He didn't deserve this! He just wanted to go home, play with his toys, watch the flickering box that showed different places and cuddle with the old man. He wanted his life back.

Yugi whimpered before letting out a little howl, stopping as the sound echoed around the room. His ears perked up at the faint hum under the echo of his howl, lifting his head to look around for the source before pain rushed through him. He cried out, writhing on the ground. Yugi was sure he pleaded with whatever was hurting him, but it didn't stop, just kept punishing him.

"I don't know! I don't know! Sorry!" He screamed out the words, hoping that the thing would understand him enough to know that he was being honest. If they would only tell him what he had done wrong, then he would never do it again. He just wanted to be happy.

Yugi was sure that he must have passed out at some point, beginning to come to as someone walked over to him. He tried to lift his head, giving a soft whimper at the pain in his neck. Was everything supposed to hurt like this?

The person knelt beside him, Yugi trying to lift his head again, only to get the same result. He resorted to his next plan, opening his eyes a bit to stare at the person who was near him. "H-help."

The person gave no response, looking him over before pulling a plastic collar from his pocket and attaching it around Yugi's neck. Yugi reached out with his paw, frowning when his muscles didn't obey, nor did his legs move in the right manner. The man just slapped his paw away, focusing on his task before standing up, motioning for someone else to move out of the shadows. Yugi was aware of a rough blanket being wrapped around him before he was lifted from the ground and carried out of the room, drifting in and out of consciousness.

He remembered being carried through the halls of the building. And then he was outside, shivering even with the blanket. Finally, he was placed down on the ground, the blanket torn from his quivering grasp before the person who had carried him out here rapped on the door, grunting out "Delivery" before shuffling off into the darkness. Yugi whimpered and reached out for the man, deciding to curl up as a cold wind blew over him.

He wished he were back home.

Suddenly the door opened, Yugi hearing the barking of other dogs in the background as a man leaned over him. The man prodded at him, checking his number before picking him up and carrying him into the building, Yugi still trembling as the building was barely warmer than the outside air. He was carried through more halls before the man opened a door, placing him on a cold steel table.

Yugi arched off of the table with a yelp, trying to get away, worried when his limbs wouldn't work properly. What was wrong with him?

The man easily caught a hold of him and pushed him back onto the table, reaching for something before lowering it to shock Yugi. He howled in pain, writhing on the table. At first, he registered nothing but the shock. Then, he felt pain again, dissolving into whimpers as bone and muscle twisted oddly, changing into another configuration. Yugi found that he couldn't move, lying on the cold table and whimpering. He barely realized that he had been carried from the table before he was place in a cage, panting for air.

There was silence for a while before he heard scrambling around in the cage beside him, Yugi blearily raising his head as he heard another voice from the cage. "Hey, are you alright?"

"No." Yugi sat up, his legs trembling still, but working. He whimpered, leaning so he could hear the voice from the other cage better. "I want to go home."

He heard a sigh from the other cage and the sound of a dog sitting down. "I know. I miss my owner as well. She and her mate need me around to protect her from bad humans. She's useless on her own, what is she going to do without me?"

Yugi looked around, searching for the answer to the question in the metal walls of his cage before sighing and lying down on the floor. They were both silent for a while before the other dog spoke again. "My name is Malik."

"Yugi."

Silence fell over them again, Yugi turning his gaze to the grate at the front of his cage. After long minutes of nothing happening, he stood up and walked to the back of the cage, curling up in a tightly and falling asleep, missing the normal sounds of his old man's house around him even more. He shivered before closing his eyes tightly, willing himself to fall asleep. It was for his own good, after all.

He woke slowly, sure that he couldn't have just fallen asleep, at the sound of scratching at the front of his cage. Yugi groaned before pulling out of his curl, staring at the white dog that was standing on its hind legs at the front of his cage, cursing as it reached up to bat at something before shaking its head and backing away. Yugi sat up, watching as the fluffy white dog looked around the room before _changing_.

He yelped as the dog shifted, limbs moving awkwardly to become some hybrid between dog and human before slipping into a complete human form, Yugi staring at the human as it rolled its shoulders and brushed off the skin tight clothes that it wore before moving back to the cage, laughing as the lock easily gave. "Alright, so opposable thumbs are a bonus. Damn, I lost that bet."

Yugi walked forward as the human moved to Malik's cage, quickly making his way around the room as the little dog watched him. The human made a complete circuit before walking over to the door and peeking out, glancing around cautiously before speaking. "Alright, the doors are unlocked."

"Hallways are clear." Yugi leaned forward at the accented voice that came from just outside the door, nearly tumbling out of his cage as he leaned too far forward. The human shot him a look before speaking again.

"We might need Seto or Joey in here, some of them can't walk." There were grumbled replies before the human laughed. "Hey, I did my job. And we want to get away quickly, right?"

No one replied on the other end, the human snorting in disgust before pushing away from the door and wandering back into the room. Yugi tensed as the human glanced over him, shaking his head before changing back into a dog. He couldn't stop staring at the white, fluffy dog that had been the fierce looking human, but he could still see the similarities. Both the human and the dog had those hard russet eyes.

Yugi hopped out of his cage, watching as Malik emerged from his cage, the sleek dog much taller than Yugi was. Malik glanced over at him and gave him a lopsided smile before inching towards the small white dog. Their rescuer waited impatiently in the center of the room, sitting down as the dogs that could walk cautiously approached him. The white dog seemed to run out of patience, grumbling something to himself before looking around. "We're getting you out of here, keep your mouths shut and do as we say. We'll tell you went to run for home, so hold yourself back until then."

The white dog glanced at the door, tilting his head to the side. "Anytime you guys are ready."

There was silence for a while before there was a curse from the door, all of the dogs straining forward to hear what was going on. "He did what? Damn it, Marik! Bakura, just get them out of there."

"Fine." Bakura glanced around at them before shaking his head, motioning for the exit. "The door is open, follow Ryou outside and stay together!"

A few of the dogs nodded, Yugi shifting closer to Malik before rushing towards the door, trying to keep pace with the longer legged dog. They rushed through the corridors, Yugi a bit unnerved by the lack of guards in the hallway. Why would they just be allowed to rush out if someone had gone through all of the trouble of collecting them? Yugi shook his head, yelping and trying to speed up as he fell behind the rest of the group. To his relief, they were slowing down, Yugi ducking through the group of dogs to get where Malik was in the front.

A white English Cocker Spaniel looked over them, blinking before nodding. "Alright, follow-"

"Move it!" They group tumbled to one side as two dogs rushed through, racing back towards where they had come from. The dog that Yugi assumed was Ryou didn't seem to be bothered by the shout, instead beginning to trot down the hallway. Reluctantly, the rest of the group followed, Yugi panting as he tried to keep pace with Malik. Thankfully, Ryou seemed to understand that some of them were faster than the others, keeping a steady pace until they reached a door that led outside.

The Cocker Spaniel nudged the door the rest of the way open before peeking out, turning back towards the group to say something when most of the dogs took the chance to run out, Ryou yelping and pressing himself back against the wall. Yugi and Malik were part of the few that remained behind, Ryou pulling away from his place on the wall and shaking his head. Ryou walked back to the nearest corner peering around it before hurriedly rushing back, the two dogs that had brushed past them before coming bounding back, Bakura right behind them.

"So the rest cut and ran?"

"Yes." Ryou shook his head with a sigh, tipping his head to one side. "I don't understand it."

"You can think later." The large husky growled out the words, managing to speak around the scruff of the dog he carried. "We need to get out of here now."

Ryou nodded, ducking out of the door before trotting across the courtyard. A nudge from the two larger dogs had Yugi following, the rest slinking out of the building after. Yugi tipped his head up to look at the sky, taking a deep breath of fresh air, trying to figure out where he was. He barely had time to pause when he heard the sound of motorcycles, spinning around to stare at the vehicles bearing down on them.

"I thought Atemu and Marik were distracting them!"

"Damn it!"

"Split up!"

Yugi gulped and looked around, realizing that they had all run off. He glanced back at the motorcycles before hurrying after Malik, hoping that he could get out of the way. Even running as fast as he could, they were still gaining on him. He whimpered, jumping into the nearby undergrowth and clawing his way through, deciding that he didn't care about the noise that he made, there was no way that the humans could hear it over the noise of their vehicles.

He slowed his frantic run as the motorcycles were suddenly shut off, now sneaking through the undergrowth of the forest as he listened for the sounds of humans. He froze in place as he heard laughter, pressing himself up against a tree. "Come out little dog. You can't hide forever."

Yugi shivered before looking around for a place to hide or something familiar. More than anything, he just wanted to find a way home. He remained still for a moment before shuffling forward, trying to be stealthy, but he had never practiced. He flinched as he stepped on a stick, freezing as it snapped. His head jerked in the direction that he had heard the humans, holding his breath. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, a human burst into sight, Yugi yelping and jumping to the side.

"Hello little dog." The human reached out for him, Yugi stumbling backwards as the reaching fingers came closer. Then there was a blur of dark fur, the human screaming and falling back as a dog bit his arm, growling as it landed. The human glanced down at his bleeding arm before staring at the dog. "Damn you, Atemu."

Atemu just smirked, before turning to Yugi. The little dog froze at the red-brown eyes of his rescuer, lowering himself towards the forest floor at the gaze. Atemu shook his head and nudged Yugi to the side, moving forward at a fast trot. "Come on."

Yugi quickly threw himself into a run, trying to catch up with Atemu as they ran through the forest, his eyes widening as he heard the motorcycle start up again, looking up at Atemu as the larger dog cursed. Atemu stepped in front of him to stop his run, the two of them staring towards the sound. Yugi whimpered, pressing himself up against Atemu. "What do we do?"

"We-" Atemu was cut off as he was thrown to the ground by a large blonde man, changing into a human and pulling at the hands that were immediately around his neck. The blonde man laughed, easily holding down Atemu as he struggled.

"Got you."

Yugi snarled and barked, feeling useless. He glanced over at a fallen branch, blinking as he realized what he could possibly do. Maybe if he could get to that wrong state again, he could lift the branch and help Atemu. He lunged for the branch, placing his paws on it and searching for the change. He began to panic as he couldn't figure out how to do it, looking back to where Atemu was going limp under the large blonde. He whimpered, his focus completely on the man who had saved him, too busy to notice that he was changing.

He realized that something had happened when he felt his hands curling around the branch, glancing down at it before picking it up, swaying as he tried to figure out how to balance on two legs. Yugi growled to himself as he lifted the branch up, staring at the blonde man before swinging the branch, smiling as the blonde fell to the side, unconscious. Yugi grinned before he dropped the branch, carefully settling to the ground beside Atemu.

Atemu was panting for breath, his eyes partially open. Yugi whimpered and shifted closer, watching as Atemu coughed and slowly sat up, rubbing his throat. "Are you alright?"

"Fine." Atemu glanced at him before standing up and walking over to the blonde man, stripping the coat from him before throwing it to Yugi, the smaller human eagerly shrugging it on. It was cold without his fur. Yugi pulled the coat tightly around him, watching as Atemu patiently waited for him to be ready before offering him a hand to get up. "Thanks for that."

"I was just returning a favor."

"You didn't have to."

"I wanted to." Atemu stared at him for a while, Yugi wanting to look away but a hand on his cheek made him stop. Yugi shivered at the long look that Atemu gave him before the other looked away, walking through the woods at a fast pace. Yugi glanced around him before following, stumbling around on his two legs before Atemu reached out to steady him, his arm slipping around Yugi's waist. Yugi smiled up at him before snuggling close to his side, not noticing the way that Atemu stiffened with the move. He just needed the comforting feeling of someone close to him.

Atemu helped him through the woods, the two of them coming out close to a parked motorcycle, the keys still in the ignition. Atemu smiled before reaching for the helmet and putting it on Yugi's head, swinging a leg over the bike before motioning for Yugi to sit behind him. Cautiously, Yugi copied the movement, flinching as the cold leather of the seat met his bare bottom. He shivered and scooted closer to Atemu, plastering himself against the other's back.

Yugi looked up as Atemu turned around. "Where do you live?"

That simple question baffled him. He knew where he lived as a dog, not as a human. Even now all these different inputs to take in, all these different colors, thoughts and urges, were confusing him. How different would his home with the old man look now? Yugi shook his head, trying to concentrate.

"It's near a bunch of people, far away from the bad smells…city?" He tentatively tried out the new vocabulary. "Um…lots of tall leafy trees and children. I live in a place where people buy stuff to play with; toys I think." Yugi ducked his head as Atemu looked back at him, peeking up at the other through his bangs. "Sorry."

"No, that's enough." Atemu started the motorcycle, Yugi yelping at the sound and pressing himself closer to Atemu, not noticing when the other tensed for a moment before relaxing, kicking the stand back up before steering the bike out into the street. Yugi smiled and rested his forehead on Atemu's back, turning his head to absently rub his cheek against the other's back as a sign of thanks.

He clung to Atemu as they raced through the streets, Yugi pointing out things he remembered, back tracking from his walk earlier that evening until they were in front of the game shop. Yugi smiled and bounded off the motorcycle as soon as it had stopped, Atemu leaning over to stare at the controls, probably checking up on the machine. Yugi smiled at him before walking over to the door that led to the house, suddenly looking worried.

A hand landed on his shoulder, Yugi jumping as Atemu walked up behind him. "Change back into a dog. I'll explain things to him."

After a moment of no luck, Yugi was able to change back, Atemu promising that it would get easier the more he practiced. Atemu shrugged on the coat that Yugi had borrowed, quickly buttoning it up before picking up Yugi and knocking on the door. Yugi tipped his ears forward as he heard shuffling from the inside, straining forward as far as Atemu would allow him before pulling back as the old man opened the door.

There was a moment when the old man stared at him, probably not comprehending what he was seeing. Then the old man smiled and reached out to grab Yugi, holding the squirming little dog close as he laughed happily. "Yugi! You're back! Thank you, thank you for finding him."

Atemu shrugged, a smile on his face. "No problem, but you may want to tune into the news tomorrow morning."

The old man paused, seeming to realize that Yugi had another collar around his neck. He brushed his fingers over the collar that Yugi wore, Yugi shifting closer to the old man to try and comfort him. "What's this? What happened?"

Atemu looked down at the ground for a moment before looking back up. "There'll be a better explanation on the news tomorrow. Sorry, I can't help more than that."

Yugi whimpered and looked up at the old man, Solomon shrugging. "Well, you brought him home, and I am thankful for that."

"No problem." Solomon gave Atemu a last wave, Yugi trying to peer through the doorframe as Atemu strode off, Solomon shutting the door and setting Yugi down on the floor. The little dog wagged his tail at his owner before yawning, happily trotting over to the stairs and scrambling up them, moving into Solomon's room before curling up on the pile of blankets that made up his bed on the floor. He yawned again, sitting up to allow Solomon to pet him before returning to his previous position and falling asleep.

* * *

Atemu sat on the bike, slumped over the front taking in deep breaths of air. He hoped that the old man had gone into the house and gone immediately to sleep, because he didn't want any one to see him like this. He hated to show weakness, especially since that would have gotten him killed on the streets. He gritted his teeth before sitting up, pointedly ignoring the problem that had grown since he had rescued that little dog from Raphael. With the evidence throbbing painfully between his legs, he could no longer deny that he was attracted to that little dog…or the human that he became.

He shut his eyes, quickly opening them as the mental image of that dog, the one whose name he had yet to discover, came to fore. He gave his head a shake, reaching back for the helmet and jamming it on his head before turning the motorcycle on again. He would contact the rest of his team later. Right now, he needed to get his mind off that image of the dog's human form; the dog's completely naked human form.

Atemu growled and sped forward, trying to lose himself in the speed of the motorcycle and the wind. But his thoughts kept circling back to that dog and his human form and how attractive he looked both ways.

He cursed and steered the motorcycle into an alley, taking off the helmet and turning the bike off, stumbling away from it and leaning against the brick wall, panting. While he liked some of the things that had happened to him because of Gekkou Tenma's crazy experiment, number one on his list being the family that he lived with, he didn't like what it had done to his brain.

Maybe it was just his dose of radiation, or maybe some other outside source, but something had gone wrong in his brain. Something terrible and horrible for him because Yakou wanted them to behave as much like dogs as they could. He would allow that being able to turn into a human would be helpful to them, but cautioned them to do it only once and a while. Apparently, they could be lured away by the temptations of the human world and lose what it meant to be dogs.

Atemu swallowed harshly and resting his head against the wall, choking back a whimper. But, oh, how he wanted to give into this temptation. He wanted nothing more than to hold that human close and never let go, to kiss him, to mate with…Atemu shook his head with a growl, trying to get his thoughts back on track.

It was the fault of the radiation that he was like this, that his head was so messed up that it had convinced his body to prefer males over females. And the hormones that controlled this human body were driving him crazy. Atemu groaned, sinking towards the ground and resting his forehead on his knees. He didn't want this attraction to males, it just wasn't right according to the more dog-like portion of his brain. But the human half reveled in it. He would find himself pausing on walks with Mana to watch attractive males walk down the street.

And it was only a matter of time until the rest of his team found out and someone would report it. Even as much as they all depended on each other, they were not much of a team. After all, Raphael had once been on their side, along with Dartz, Alastair and Valon, but they had all decided to work for Gekkou. Since there, there had been this fear that your own teammates would turn you into that psychopath. Yakou himself did not look too kindly on the dogs that had lost their ability to retain their dog-like tendencies.

He didn't want to give up his family, the one that he had just acquired through Yakou. But how could he resist the chance to touch that soft skin again? To feel Yugi pressed up against him, underneath him, writhing and calling for him?

Atemu groaned, trembling as he looked up at the sky in search for answers. He couldn't think of a way out of this situation, and these thoughts weren't helping his little problem. The best he could do was hide if for now, like he had been before. But before, he hadn't known where one of his crushes lived. And it was so close to where he lived, just an easy walk down the street. It would be no problem at all to get to know him better, maybe find out if he…

He snarled at himself before reaching up to activate the speaker in the tag that hung around his neck, hoping that it would work this time. The technology was finicky, his being the only that worked almost all the time and Atemu feared that even that was coming to an end. "Everyone alright?"

"We've got them out if that's what you're asking." Atemu smiled at Bakura's annoyed tone of voice. "Damn it, Atemu, we nearly lost the whole bunch. I thought you were distracting them."

"Marik and I tried."

"Yeah well," there was a sigh on the other end, "try harder. I'm heading home. No, Ryou, I'm fine to sleep in my box. I'm perfectly fine without miniature humans climbing all over me."

Atemu shook his head, switching channels and waiting for the reply. "Seto?"

"Safe."

Another change of channels, his conversations with Seto were always short. He was worried if they got over six words long. "Joey?"

"Heading back now. Man, I'm hungry." Atemu laughed at that, Joey laughing along as well. If there was one dog he could trust on this team, it was Joey. The golden retriever would stick by him no matter what. It was a relief to know that much at least.

There was only one more dog to check, Ryou safely with Bakura. "Marik?"

"Quiet now, Atemu-pack leader. Marik is on the trail of pretty dog." The insane dog chuckled. "Such a pretty, pretty dog. And strong. Outran and out smarted the humans. Marik likes this pretty dog."

"Marik…"

"Atemu-pack leader, shouldn't growl at Marik. Marik knows he has the same problem as Marik. Yes, Atemu-pack leader does. Marik doesn't like the females like Marik should. Oh no, no, no. Atemu and Marik like the boys. Yes, very much so." Atemu's fingers tightened on the tag, staring dumbly ahead as Marik continued to talk. "But Marik won't tell. Marik knows to keep quiet. Marik knows that this is bad. Marik follows the pretty dog now. Pretty dog goes to nice home."

Marik was as close to humming as a dog could get. "Marik once had home, nice home, then got stolen by evil humans. Evil, evil humans. Marik wants nice home again, first home Marik can never get back to. Evil humans kill all Marik's family. But Marik is fine, Marik is over it."

"M-Marik, speak normally. I know you can."

"But it's more fun to speak like that Atemu. Besides, you believe me when I speak like that." Marik laughed, this one entirely saner. "You think that I'm some sort of mystic when I speak like that."

"It's just weird."

"Fine, but only around you. I'd rather keep the others off guard considering…Well, you have the same problem too."

"There is no problem, Marik."

"Of course not." Atemu could almost see the smirk on the dog's face. "But there will be. What happens when you can't hold back anymore, Atemu? What then?"

"That will never happen."

"Right. Well, this is where I get off. Get yourself home safe, Atemu." He heard the faint jingling of the tag as Marik picked up his pace before he shut the communication off, letting his hand drop back to his side.

It was surprising that, out of all of the members of his group, it was Marik that ended up understanding him the most. It was probably because Marik had enough to hide from the rest too. Although, Marik had established a way to get around most of that, everyone but Atemu still thought that he was insane. Marik _had_ truly been insane for the first few days after his transformation, but he had managed to come out of that temporary insanity and hadn't let anyone know. He only had slipped up around Atemu, for reasons that he still had yet to figure out. But Marik was a force unto his own.

Unfortunately, Marik forgot that he could just hide under the cover of his insanity. Atemu, however, was perfectly sane and had no such excuse for him. He sighed and pushed himself up from the ground. He paused as the tag on his collar made a strange sound, Atemu activating it again and waiting for a sound from one of his teammates. When all he got was static, Atemu snarled, pulling the tag from his collar and throwing it carelessly to the ground. He stared at it for a while before walking out into the street and towards his home. Fortunately, Bakura had sent them out straight from their homes, so they hadn't had to dump their looser clothing and shoes somewhere. Atemu ran a hand through his messy tri-colored hair, shaking his head.

Because of Gekkou it wasn't safe to be a dog on your own, which was why they pretended to be humans outside if they were on their own. But now, it wasn't safe to be with a human if you were a dog. Raphael and the others had shown that tonight. They were running out of options, especially since they could never find Gekkou himself on the nights of their none of them were willing to let the dogs stay in his hold for more than a few hours, worried that Gekkou would try something else. Hopefully, the others teams were getting better results.

He pushed away from the wall to stand up, licking his lips and turning towards home. He would leave the motorcycle here for Raphael to pick up later. Atemu began walking down the street, carefully placing his bare feet on the sidewalk. While he was sure that his feet could survive the rough sidewalk, he didn't want to limp all the way home because he had stepped on a piece of glass. But, maybe that would be better than all of his thoughts concentrating on that little dog.

Atemu let his mind wander as he walked, reining it in whenever it ventured too close to the memory of that small dog. And those instances were increasing as he went on. He groaned and rubbed his hands over his face, relaxing a bit as he recognized his house, easily shifting into the form of a dog and shaking off the long coat before bounding towards the modest home. He circled around to the backyard and nudged the loose board away, sliding through the small gap before trotting over to dog door that would let him into the house.

He took a deep breath of the cool air of the house before carefully moving around the house, inspecting everything. The downstairs met his approval, nothing horribly out of place that would indicate that something was wrong. He turned toward the upstairs, climbing up the stairs and checking the two bedrooms, smiling as he saw Mana curled up in her bed, before walking to his own room. Officially, it was the office, the one that Akhnamkanon didn't use often, so he was allowed to call it his.

He jumped up onto the bed that was kept there, staring at the tangle of covers that he had made the night before. Atemu shook his head, sliding under the covers and curling up, leaving his muzzle out so he wouldn't suffocate. It was nice and warm under there, comforting. Atemu sighed, yawning once before falling asleep.

_

* * *

Please read and review. Constructive criticism is welcome._


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

Marik growled and licked the dirt off his coat, wincing at the taste before sitting up, watching as the last of the dogs scattered. He looked over the bunch without much interest, turning his head as he watched Atemu disappear into the woods, tipping his head at the move by his leader. Atemu wouldn't do that unless there was a reason to, but that was something he would never find out, Atemu preferred to keep things to himself. Marik shrugged and stood up, giving himself a shake before trotting after the rest of their team.

He was able to slip in towards the back of the group, remaining unnoticed as he looked around, alert for any more interference from Raphael and his group. Hopefully they would know to stay away, especially since they were outnumbered. Besides, it was easy to dodge them when they decided to use their motorcycles. Marik yawned and scratched behind his ear, listening to Seto give the usual lecture to the dogs. By now, he could easily mouth the whole thing along with Seto, but that was no fun anymore. They knew he was insane, so it was expected of him.

To entertain himself, Marik glanced over all the dogs that were there, his ears perking up as he saw a sleek looking hound near the back, looking around for someone. Marik smiled and got up from where he sat, walking over to the dog and sitting next to him. For a while, the dog said nothing, still looking around worriedly, Marik tipping his head to the side and just watching.

This was a pretty dog, brown and blonde with lavender eyes. Marik hummed to himself, tilting his head to the other side. The dog's eyes were only lavender in the right light, but it was still pretty.

Marik didn't bother to hide the fact that he was staring, the dog turning to look at him in annoyance before glancing around. It was only a moment before the dog finally bit back a growl and turned to speak to him. "Have you seen Yugi?"

"Yugi?"

"Small? Black, red and yellow? Big eyes?" Marik stared at the dog, processing the request before he shook his head. There was no such dog in this group right now, but maybe that was why Atemu had disappeared in the first place. Either way, Yugi was probably safe by now.

He shook his head, deciding that it was the best answer. But it was not worth seeing the dog slump. Marik gave a soft whine, watching the dog look over him. "Yugi was just…so small and scared when they brought him in and I…"

Marik nodded, moving closer. "Noble."

"What? Oh, yeah. I guess." The dog leaned against him and, for that small length of time, Marik was in heaven. Then Seto had to finish up with his long speech and send the rest of the dogs running for home. Their mission was done, which meant that they all had to go back to their postings; which meant four of them got to go to nice homes. Marik was, once again, stuck finding a place on the streets. While he didn't mind that, he would prefer to go to a nice home. Someplace like the pretty dog was going.

Marik waited for the pretty dog to start off, ambling off in the same direction, looking for all the world like he didn't care where he was going, which was true. In a few moments, he would disappear down one of the alleys and begin trailing the dog from there. It was what he was good at. And, if the rest of the team had trusted him more, he could track the others easily. But they had Joey and Marik was fine with being underappreciated. Then nothing was ever expected of him.

He slipped down an alley, picking up his pace to make it through the twists and the turns of the street to find a spot where he could see the pretty dog again, smiling to himself when the dog passed. Obviously, he would be wandering around for a bit. Marik waited until he had nearly lost the dog before putting himself on the scent trail, keeping to a quick walk. He didn't want to be discovered and get into a fight, then Atemu and the others would get mad at him. This was one of the things that Yakou had told them that they were _not_ supposed to do, but Marik wasn't going to listen.

There were a lot of things that Yakou told them to do that Marik didn't listen to.

Marik tilted his head to the side as his collar gave a faint beep, sighing and lowering his muzzle to tap the tag against his chest before continuing with his search, smiling as he heard Atemu's voice. "Marik?"

"Quiet now, Atemu,-pack leader. Marik is on the trail of pretty dog." He chuckled, already picturing Atemu's face as he spoke. "Such a pretty, pretty dog. And strong. Outran and out smarted the humans. Marik likes this pretty dog."

"Marik…" There was a warning in Atemu's voice, one that Marik happily ignored. He refocused on the trail, speaking to Atemu as he kept moving.

"Atemu-pack leader shouldn't growl at Marik. Marik knows he has the same problem as Marik. Yes, Atemu-pack leader does. Marik doesn't like the females like Marik should. Oh no, no, no. Atemu and Marik like the boys. Yes, very much so." There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end, Marik smirking at that. So he had been right.

He assumed that, since something radical had been done to their bodies to allow them to change into humans and cram this new vocabulary into their heads, that their brains would suffer somewhat from it. In the months that they had lived here, watching for any move from Gekkou, Marik had been busy watching his fellow teammates. In a pack, it was good to know the strengths and weaknesses of its members.

Seto found it hard to show emotions. Marik doubted that he could find anything worthy of his showing of emotions. The husky had adjusted nearly effortlessly to this, the flaw itself so small that it had taken Marik the longest to work out, but he had discovered it.

Joey had developed a huge appetite, one that could cause him problems in his older days when his metabolism slowed down. As of now, the golden retriever didn't seem to mind, but Joey would probably have to be active all his life to cut down on weight gain, which would be bad for joints later on. It was a vicious cycle and Marik didn't envy the golden retriever that.

Bakura had gotten the obsessive need to get into places he shouldn't and steal things. Anything that was kept where he should go, he would get it, just because of the challenge. It was a thrill to the little white dog. Apparently, Bakura enjoyed sneaking those things back as well. Marik had served as a guard on many of those missions as he was the only other dog without a home to go to.

Ryou had been extremely calmed by the change, nothing but the most horrendous things making him act out. All his replies were soft spoken and well thought out. Marik would have expected Ryou to loose his emotions because of this, but the white Cocker Spaniel was still in possession of those. Ryou was one of the few in the group who openly showed that he cared.

Marik himself know that he was more prone to insane moments, moments of hyperactivity where he would just babble, aware of what was going on the entire time. Strangely enough, he enjoyed those moments, taking the backseat to himself and seeing what he would do acting without any inhibitions. Sadly, nothing fun ever came out of it.

Atemu had said that he had lost memories of his past, including his own name. The one that he had now had been given to him by the family he was staying with. Marik was sure that Atemu was bothered by that and he had often caught the leader of their group staring off into the distance after saying something, probably because it had triggered the faintest trace of a memory.

And now, apparently, Atemu also had the same problem that he had. Females were no longer as interesting as males, something at Marik had accepted and moved on with. After all, females came with complications. They would demand that you stay with them and have pups, something Marik never intended to do. But still, it had to be kept a secret from the rest, something Marik was good at doing.

He had gambled when he had implied that Atemu had the same problem as he did, but he had a good base of evidence to rest his gamble on. He had seen Atemu out with the humans that he lived with and he had seen their leader often watch other males leave, looking interested for a moment before looking disgusted, but unable to stop the pattern from repeating.

He figured that he better say something to reassure Atemu, or else he would be killed. Working with Yakou didn't imply a strong team ethic or security. The dogs looked after themselves first and their teams second. "But Marik won't tell. Marik knows to keep quiet. Marik knows that this is bad. Marik follows the pretty dog now. Pretty dog goes to nice home."

Marik wished that he had taken the human form now, he felt like humming. It was one of the few things that he enjoyed about being human, being able to hum. To fight that urge, he kept talking, keeping Atemu on the line. "Marik once had home, nice home, then got stolen by evil humans. Evil, evil humans. Marik wants nice home again, first home Marik can never get back to. Evil humans kill all Marik's family. But Marik is fine, Marik is over it."

"M-Marik, speak normally." Marik perked up at the waver in his name, listening eagerly to Atemu. "I know you can."

"But it's more fun to speak like that Atemu. Besides, you believe me when I speak like that." He laughed, letting his pattern of speech fall away. He didn't add that it was safer to be considered insane, then he could get away with anything and it would be brushed off easily. "You think that I'm some sort of mystic when I speak like that."

"It's just weird."

"Fine, but only around you. I'd rather keep the others off guard considering…Well, you have the same problem too."

"There is no problem, Marik." The words were snapped out.

"Of course not." Marik smirked, slowing himself down as he began approaching the pretty dog. The dog had stopped to look for something, Marik hiding back in the shadows and whispering as he waited for the dog to start moving again. "But there will be. What happens when you can't hold back anymore, Atemu? What then?"

"That will never happen."

"Right. Well, this is where I get off. Get yourself home safe, Atemu." He tapped his chin against his tag, shutting the communication off before concentrating on following the other dog. He would see where this dog lived before slowly beginning to introduce himself. He hadn't been lying when he said he wanted a home; he still remembered having a home from before he had been stolen and wanted that back, but it was a bonus if it came with the pretty dog.

Marik stopped where he stood, watching the pretty dog slow down, glancing at the deserted street before tearing across to the other side, whining and scratching at the door. After a few minutes of this, Marik was ready to go over and offer the pretty dog company when the door opened up, revealing a woman. "Malik!"

The pretty dog stood up and allowed the woman to hug him before he was let inside, Marik sitting down on the sidewalk. So the pretty dog's name was Malik, that was good to know.

He glanced down as the single tag on his collar produced static, Marik staring down at it in disgust before wriggling out of his collar and kicking it into the shadows. Their method of communication was down, which was alright with him. He smiled to himself before turning and trotting back towards the network of alleys that Bakura and he shared at their home. He would probably be back around here often, no matter what Atemu said.

* * *

"Mahad, Malik's back!" Malik wagged his tail, happy to see that nothing had happened to his owner and her mate. He still stayed close to his owner, trying not to show that he understood their language. He had been told that explanations were going to come eventually, and he didn't want to hurt the pups that his owner would be having. While he trusted Mahad with her care, he didn't want anything else bad to happen to her.

Mahad knelt down on the ground, immediately reaching out to scratch under Malik's jaw, one of the places that he really liked. Malik tipped his head back to help the man out, his eyes falling shut with bliss. He liked Mahad because he took good care of his owner, even if the current pup situation was his fault. Aside from that, he didn't want to start again with another man, he had already spent so much time training Mahad in the right way to scratch, it would be a waste of his effort. "Where did you run off too? You had us all worried."

Malik gave an apologetic whimper, watching his owner as she passed, resting a hand on Mahad's shoulder before moving into the family room. Malik brushed past Mahad, following her and sitting at her feet when she sat down on the sofa, giving her a worried look.

He leaned into the soft stroking of his head, scooting forward a bit more so he could rest his nose against his owner's stomach, smiling when he heard her laugh. "And you're still worrying about me. I thought I worry about you." She sighed, Malik tipping his head to the side in confusion at the sound. "But you've always worried about me, haven't you boy."

He gave a short bark in agreement, holding back a growl at the memory of the old place where his owner used to live before she had met Mahad. Before she lived with the evil man, her father. He wouldn't let her do anything on her own and it had been up to Malik to protect her. He narrowed his eyes at the memory, still feeling guilty for all the times he hadn't been able to do anything helpful. But they had still gotten out of there. It was better to focus on the good things.

Malik shook his head, watching as Mahad walked around to pull his owner to her feet, holding her close before they walked up the stairs. Malik moved from his spot by the sofa to watch them, tipping his head to the side. He was glad he was back home with them so they wouldn't have to worry about him anymore. Still, it left him with one problem. He shifted, scratching at his neck and growling as he hit the collar that was around his neck. This one didn't belong here, it wasn't the one that his owner had picked out. It was the one that the horrible man had put around his neck, the man that had changed him.

He whimpered, shaking himself before walking over to his usual sleeping spot, climbing up the stairs and settling at the top. From here, he could see if anyone entered the house or hear if anything was wrong with his owner and her mate. He sighed, shifting into a more comfortable position before letting his eyes slide shut, but he still couldn't sleep.

Yugi was still somewhere out there and it was too easy to picture the little dog lost all on his own. Malik grumbled to himself, opening his eyes and shifted slightly. Hopefully he had gotten back to his own home or those others dogs had helped him. They should have helped him. As soon as his owner and her mate were off at work, he was going to sneak out through the loose board and find those dogs from the night before. One of them could help him find Yugi and make sure that he was safe.

With that in mind, Malik yawned again, staring at the dark stairwell below him. He still wasn't tired, but he was exhausted from everything that had happened. It had been a good two days since he had been home, stolen from his owner right out of his own backyard and taken to that place. And then it had been and endless time of waiting and the food tasted weird, nothing like his owner got him. He sighed and rolled onto his back, staring at the stairwell through this different perspective.

Eventually sleep would take him and he would rest for a few hours, but his mind was too alert right now, processing everything new. He had long since begun to adjust to the new input from his senses, which had helped him during his escape and return home, but it was odd now that he was home. He had always imagined things to be one way and now they were turning out to be another. It was like a fresh new start in a familiar place.

Malik shook his head and rolled over to his other side, knowing that he was close to exhaustion when he was thinking things like that. He chuckled to himself before focusing on the wall, using the blank surface to distract his vision while he listened to the sounds of the house, reassuring himself that everything was alright despite his absence.

* * *

Joey sat outside the door, waiting patiently for one of the girls to open it. He brightened as he heard footsteps behind the door, standing up and wagging his tail as Mai swung it open, staring at him before motioning him in. "Alright. Alright."

Joey trotted into the house, giving Mai another wag of his tail in thanks before moving through the house, looking for one person. Out of the three girls who lived in this house together, all three of them working through college, one was the most important and most in need of his care. Joey paused by the harness that he usually wore, his happy expression sinking as he remembered what day it was. This was the night that Serenity would usually go out with her friends and he almost always came along. Serenity preferred having him along with her for the extra security.

He whimpered and snuck into the family room of the house, spotting the red headed girl sitting in a chair, her fingers brushing over the pages of a book. He tipped his head to the side before walking further into the room, knowing that she had already heard him. "You shouldn't be up so late."

Serenity laughed before setting her book down on the table, sliding from the chair to kneel on the ground, Joey immediately walking over to her. Serenity ran her hands over his head before scratching his ears, Joey ignoring the pleasant touch and looking up at her. "You have class tomorrow."

"Alright, big brother." Serenity laughed, Joey smiling at that sound. It always amazed him that Serenity could be so happy even when she was blind. He would have been useless without his sight and yet, Serenity was trying to make her place in the world, and succeeding. He scooted closer, Serenity pulling him into a hug. "Are you okay?"

"No harm done. It'll take more than a few goons to keep me down."

"Oh, Joey!" She laughed again, standing up while keeping a hand on him. Joey sighed and shifted closer so that he was brushing against her leg, a steady presence to guide her through the house, even though she knew it by now. The two made they're way down the hall, Serenity's bed room being on the bottom floor. As usual, Joey sat outside while the young woman got ready for bed, peeking through the door when she softly called for him, patting the bed.

Joey wagged his tail before rushing into the room and jumping on the bed, curling up in his usual spot and resting his head on his paws, carefully watching as Serenity fell asleep. He smiled to himself, shaking his head before yawning, and looking around the darkened room.

Serenity was studying to be a teacher, hoping to help children like herself. And Joey was in awe of her because of that. Not only was she working to put herself through college, but she was also blind and taking a full workload like it was nothing. Serenity was constantly surprising him with her drive, and it made him feel horrible at times because he had the tendency to laze about. But at least he was doing something important.

Joey frowned to himself, staring at the pile of textbooks to have something to look at. His job was important, protecting those dogs so none of them would become like him. Hopefully the dogs that they had rescued tonight had only been slightly altered, nothing horrible. But there was always that chance that Gekkou had done something more. Joey bit back the urge to growl, not wanting to wake Serenity. She had early classes tomorrow and she needed her rest.

The frown on his face evened out to a smile, Joey flicking his tail over his nose and shifting to get more comfortable. He found this job quite enjoyable, his primary job just as fun. But he liked having a place to call his own, better than being shuttled around to different owners because he was stubborn. He liked living with Serenity, Mai and Tèa, they treated him fairly and, in return, he listened to them. He wasn't a bad dog, he just didn't like to be pushed around.

He perked up as he heard movement from upstairs, guess that Mai was making her way back to bed before settling back down. While Serenity was his first worry, he liked to keep the other two women safe, just as thanks for allowing him to stay here with them. Besides, it was his duty as their dog to guard the house, seeing as they relied on such easily broken locks, he had seen Bakura break into his fair share of buildings. Besides, it was his place as well. Joey chuckled to himself, looking up at Serenity as she made a soft noise in her sleep. She quieted down a moment later, Joey closing his own eyes and drifting to sleep.

* * *

"Sure you don't want to stay out here, Ryou? Better than getting your tail pulled by some brat." Bakura laughed, secretly hoping that the Cocker Spaniel would say yes for once.

As usual, Ryou just laughed and shook his head, ambling towards the townhouse that the family lived in. "Amane isn't like that, Bakura. She's nice."

"All brats are the same, Ryou." Ryou just shook his head and walked off, leaving Bakura to watch to be sure that the Cocker Spaniel got home safe. Aside from Marik, Ryou was the only one on the team that he was sure he could trust. The others were too caught up in their own heads. Bakura snorted and turned away, heading for his normal sleeping area, his pace slowing as he gave into the urge to turn and look back at Ryou, smiling to himself as the Cocker Spaniel briefly turned into a human to let himself into the house with the key hidden outside.

Bakura sighed and shook his head, turning around only to jump back with a yelp as Marik appeared in front of him. "So Bakura likes Ryou."

"Of course I do." Bakura growled and ducked under Marik, amused that the dog actually ducked his head to watch his progress. "He's the only sane one on this team and the others have their heads stuck too far up their as-"

"Bakura _likes_ Ryou." Bakura stared up at the light colored dog, his mouth still open. His eyes widened, brain working frantically to try and come up with something, some kind of denial. Because it wasn't like that, they were just close. It would never be like that.

Marik laughed to himself, disappearing down the alley. Bakura stared after him before growling and launching himself after the larger dog, scrambling up a pile of old boxes so that he was nose to nose with Marik, the light colored dog not intimidated. "Don't say things like that. Do you know what will happen if someone hears you? You'll end up like _them_."

Mairk knew who he referred to, the team lead by Dartz that had left because they didn't want to conform to what Yakou asked of them. Apparently, it had been too much for them to remain as dogs instead of becoming too human. They had left to join Gekkou and had been a pain in their sides ever since. The reports said that more and more teams of dogs were breaking apart as a few of their members walked away from the life that they were given. Bakura intended to never get caught like that; this life was the best one that he had.

"Only if someone squeals." Marik's eyes narrowed. "Would Bakura do that to Marik? Would Bakura tell on Marik just because he _thought_ something?"

"Of course."

"Then we fail."

"What?" Bakura nearly fell of the box that he was standing on, staring at Marik as the dog walked away. He watched as Marik sighed, the dog turning back to look at him. "Bakura is not Marik's pack, Bakura is Marik's 'team'. Team is easily dissolved, pack is not. Team will get Bakura killed, pack will kill for Bakura. Difference."

He stared at Marik as the dog disappeared into the shadows, walking to the back of the alley where they would sleep. Bakura pulled himself together, not willing to lose this argument to the insane dog. "I don't need a pack. It's too much trouble."

"Bakura is just making excuses, Marik can tell." He growled at the rebuttal, shaking himself off before clambering down the pile of junk, finding himself walking back to where Ryou's house was. Bakura stopped, glancing over his shoulder at where Marik was sleeping before pointedly slipping into the shadows. He knew that his white coat would give him away, but being this close to the walls would take him out of Marik's line of sight, not that Marik would try and speak to him again. The insane dog would just let him think over what he had said.

He knocked a scrap of paper away from him before sitting on the sidewalk just outside of the alley, glancing at where Ryou lived before tipping his head back to stare at the stars. His eyes jumped from one to another, connecting them before he shook his head. He had always been on his own, never depending on others to help him. He was too used to his solitary life. No respectable dog had looked at him for long before deciding that he was some misplaced house pet, but he had never lived in a house with others. And he never wanted to, he enjoyed his freedom too much.

And, even if he did _like_ Ryou, he would never give up his freedom for that, he knew that already. Ryou would never give up his life with the humans and he would never give up his alleys. How could they stay together when they were like that? It was an impossible task for the both of them and he would never ask that of Ryou. The Cocker Spaniel was the closest that he would ever get to a pack like Marik was talking about, if he ever wanted one at all.

Bakura huffed, hunching his shoulders and staring at the ground. Why should he trust Marik anyway? The whole team knew that he was insane, the forced change had done that to him. Why would that qualify him as the one to listen to for advice? Besides the fact that Marik often picked up on things that no one else did and that he was the only one crazy enough to act as bait.

He growled, scrapping his claws along the sidewalk. So they needed Marik to get these dogs out of Gekkou's reach for good, but that didn't mean that he had to put up with the dog all the time. He had always been happier on his own, he knew that for a fact. And he just had to keep telling himself that in case he forgot.

* * *

Seto glared at the light coming from the office where Aknadin worked, snorting and trotting towards the two bedrooms. The businessman seemed intent on working himself to death, trying to keep control of the company that he and his brother, Gozaburo started. Apparently it had been easier when Gozaburo was alive, but Aknadin was stuck trying to keep the company afloat after his brother's murder. But that didn't make it easier for Mokuba and Noa, the latter the son of Gozaburo. They both had to grown up without a father.

The husky turned towards the staircase, bounding up the stairs and looking down the hall, scowling when he saw one of the lights on. That meant Mokuba had another nightmare, another one that Aknadin would never know about and another day spent at school totally exhausted. Seto huffed and glanced at Noa's room, nudging the door open and peeking inside, relaxing a bit when he saw that the boy was asleep instead of just sitting up. Good, at least one of them would be ready for tomorrow.

Satisfied with that, Seto moved on to Mokuba's room, nudging the door open and walking inside. The boy looked up from his book, dark bags under his grey eyes. A smile crossed his tired face as he saw that Seto was there. "Hey."

"Mokuba…"

"I had a bad dream."

Seto grunted, glancing at the bed before jumping onto it, sitting down so he could stare at Mokuba. "That's no excuse."

"It was really bad."

"You need your sleep." He watched as Mokuba pouted before sighing, closing his book and putting it on his bedside table. The boy rubbed his hand over his face before settling back down, turning off his lamp. Seto walked over to lie beside Mokuba, watching the boy as he reached over to pet the husky. After a moment of looking at each other, Seto sighed, giving in. "What was this dream?"

"It was the car accident, again. The one when mom died." Seto flattened his ears at that, knowing that the memory still haunted Mokuba. He moved closer, allowing the boy to hug him as he trembled. "I worry that you won't ever come back. You're the only one that cares about us."

"Your father-"

"He's too busy. He doesn't even know that I have these nightmares. He doesn't know that Noa has them either. He only cares about our grades. But you care about _us_." Seto had no argument for that, sighing and letting Mokuba hold him close. A comfortable silent fell between the two, Seto almost sure that Mokuba had managed to fall asleep when he heard the boy speak again. "You scare me when you leave."

"Hm?"

He was hugged tighter. "You scare me when you leave. I'm afraid that they will do horrible things to you or that guy you work for will take you away."

"Yakou? He won't."

"I don't trust him." Mokuba pulled away for a moment before shaking his head, turning to use Seto as a pillow. "He's like the board of directors at Kaiba Corp, sort of slimey."

"It's better than his brother."

"I guess." Mokuba yawned before turning onto his side, Seto shifting to get comfortable himself. "Night."

"Good night, Mokuba." He listened as the boy's breathing evened out as he finally fell asleep, sighing to himself.

If he wasn't in Mokuba's room because of nightmares, he was in Noa's room. The two boys were still dealing with things that even he didn't know about. In the absence of Aknadin, who was either plowing through papers in his office at home or at Kaiba Corp., Seto was the one who took care of them and spent time with them. It had even gotten to the point where he would wait for them to walk them home if nothing came up because it prevented others from beating up on them or others from threatening them. As the sons of Aknadin Kaiba, they were in danger of practically everything.

Sometimes, Seto wished that someone other than him had gotten chosen to be here, but he didn't want to give up the closeness that he had gained with Noa and Mokuba. They were the only reason he smiled anymore, which was strange because he remembered smiling before. Seto frowned before shaking the thoughts away. His past was no good to him anymore, it was gone and could never be retrieved. His future was all that mattered in the end, and his future, as far as he could see it, was with the Kaiba family.

That is, until Yakou decided that their team would do more good elsewhere, which was highly unlikely. With all the dogs that Gekkou was changing, Yakou had enough to supply for all the cities. Which meant that he could stay right here until Yakou had no use for him anymore. And he was happily looking forward to that day, his trust of Yakou slipping. If both Mokuba and Noa didn't trust the man, than he shouldn't either, the two boys were better able to judge since they weren't in direct contact with him all the time.

Better yet, it would keep him out of contact with Atemu, the Pharaoh Hound annoying him. Atemu had taken over the leadership of their group quickly, no one questioning it even though Seto was obviously the stronger dog. Hopefully, he would have his chance to be leader, since Atemu seemed to be leading them to no results. Until then, he could wait. Besides, Mokuba and Noa were more important that dogs that were stupid enough to get themselves captured.

_

* * *

Personally, I see this story more character focused than plot focused, so there's going to be a lot of these little moments of thought. It doesn't make for the most epic of story lines, but I like it._

_Please read and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome._


	4. Chapter Three

**Author's Note:** I'm bumping up the rating because of the content of this chapter, mostly just for safety than anything.

**Warning:** Lemon flavored stuff. I wouldn't call it a full lemon, but it's there.

**

* * *

Chapter Three**

"_Atemu." Yugi moaned out his name, panting for air as he arched his back into the thrust. The moan ended in a scream as Atemu hit his prostate, Yugi's arms buckling. He caught himself before falling completely over, the motion pushing Atemu deeper into him, the muscles on his back twitching. Atemu smiled and leaned over, gently kissing up Yugi's spine as he continued to thrust into him._

"_Atemu…close, so close."_

"_Yugi…"_

"_Oh _please_. __So close." Yugi whined out the words, one of his hands scrambling to grab a hold of the covers as he pushed back against Atemu._

_Yugi's writhing, the feel of his soft skin and the beads of sweat that ran over the pale skin, were all driving Atemu closer to the edge. He moaned, thrusting back into Yugi, trying to slow his movements down. But Yugi felt so good, so warm and tight around him; so perfect. "Yugi, my Yugi."_

"_Oh gods, Atemu!" Yugi twisted in his grasp, clawing at the sheets. Atemu smirked to himself._

"_Just a little longer, Yugi."_

"_Can't…"_

"_Only…" Atemu thrust in again, moaning in ecstasy as he felt Yugi's inner walls tighten around him. He pushed deeper into the shorter teenager, leaning forward to muffle his scream in Yugi's neck as he came. "Yugi!"_

"Atemu!"

His eyes shot open at the voice, the one that was definitely not Yugi's. Atemu blinked a couple of times, shifting before stiffening as he realized that Yugi had been just a dream, a wonderful but fruitless dream. He groaned and sat up, leaning forward to rest his forehead his arms. He felt the bed dip a bit under someone's weight and a hand land on his shoulder. "Are you alright, Atemu?"

He turned his head to look into Mana's worried green eyes, shaking his head. "No. I'm not."

"Then we should take you to the doctor…or the vet." Mana tugged at his sleeve, Atemu shaking his head. She stopped at the motion, sitting back and nervously gesturing with her hands. "Then what?"

"They can't help me, I'm a bit too messed up for that."

"What-Oh…" Mana flinched and looked down at the ground. "The change thing."

Atemu nodded miserably before raising a hand to tap the side of his head. "They messed up my brain to make me…"

"Make you what?"

He sighed, rubbing a hand over his eyes. "To make me want something that I shouldn't."

"That dream…"

"I don't want to talk about it."Atemu turned his head away, staring at the wall until he heard Mana sigh, the girl moving off the bed to stand by it, staring down at him. He sighed, ducking his head. He didn't want her to try and comfort him, it was something that he just had to learn to get over. He couldn't allow himself to continue thinking this was. It was just wrong.

"You should. It might help." Mana smiled at him Atemu giving a long sigh at that. "I'm sure some of the others could-"

"No. Not with them." Atemu sat up, bracing himself by placing his hands behind him. "Now, Mana, if you would excuse me…"

"Oh, right. Sorry." She gave him a smile before scurrying out of the room with a blush on her face. Atemu watched her go before sighing and throwing the blankets off his bed, groaning at the idea of doing a load of laundry, but it was his own fault. Besides, he would need these clothes on anyway. He sighed and trudged towards the bathroom, stripping out of his soiled clothes and jumping in the shower, washing himself off.

He glared at the wall of the shower, trying to figure out a way around his problem. Ignoring it had done nothing to help him and he couldn't go about it Marik's way, he would easily be discovered. He didn't trust himself to hide this from the rest of the world. Atemu groaned and ran his hands through his hair, on the verge of giving up when he paused, turning his head to look in the direction that he guessed that Yugi's house was.

The little dog was very nearly down the street, he could easily just slip out and visit him without anyone noticing. Aside from Marik or Ryou, none of their team ever came to this side of town, and Marik was on his side. It would be hard trying to hide it from the rest of the team, but he could do it. He wanted to do it. Perhaps, once he had gotten this out of his system, he would be able to function normally. And, it was part of his duty to see that the dogs were settling into the life forced upon them.

He smiled to himself before turning off the water in the shower, quickly drying himself off and opening the door slightly before changing. Atemu gave himself a quick shake before picking up his clothes in his mouth and bounding down to the laundry room, tossing them to one side. He would deal with them later. Right now, he had to find if he was right about Yugi, his interest in the little dog beginning to boarder on obsession. But it was only a phase, he was sure of that.

Atemu slipped out through the dog door and out into the yard, glancing out at the house before trotting out onto the street. Akhnamkanon and Mana were used to his comings and goings, they would only begin to worry about him when he didn't show up for long stretches of time. He smiled to himself, turning to reorient himself before breaking into a run, unable to curb his eagerness to see Yugi again.

* * *

Solomon settled in front of the television with Yugi on the sofa beside him, nervously scratching the little dog, his fingers straying back to the collar that was around his neck. He had kept that collar on despite how wrong it looked on his dog. He wanted to put Yugi's original collar back on, wanted to forget that something had happened to him. But the words that the young man had said had worried him, refusing to explain anything and only encouraging that he watch the news.

He warily watched the images on the screen, the television on since he had gotten up and there had still been nothing. He had even ignored Yugi's attempts to get him to play, the little dog staring up at him with confusion. But, surprisingly, Yugi had quickly settled down, seeming to be waiting for something as well. The sudden calmness in his usually active dog had Solomon wondering if it had something to do with the incident from last night.

Absently, he looked up at the television, freezing when he saw an aqua haired man sitting next to the usual anchor. The man had reddish-brown eyes, like the young man had from the night before, and his hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Despite the smile that the man had on his face, there was just something about the eyes that made Solomon pull Yugi closer and lean back. Those were the eyes of an insane man. He calmed himself a moment later as the anchor began to talk, her familiar voice soothing him.

"_Reports of dogs going missing have increased in the past few months, the reason baffling police and the exact culprits still unknown. More recently, some of these dogs that have been returned to their homes have been reported to display unnerving talents. Confirmed reports have said that these dogs are able to speak to their owners and even change into humans. After reviewing recorded incidents of these strange occurrences, we searched for a man who could explain them._

"_With us in the studio today is Yakou Tenma."_ The anchor smiled and looked over at the man, Solomon leaning forward slightly and listening with interest. _"Now, you say you can explain these incidents."_

Yakou nodded, shifting into a more comfortable position in his chair. _"My brother and I had worked together for years, he working mostly for the government while I was working on advances that would help animals, things to save endangered species and the like. But, recently, they requested he complete a project for them, I am still bound to silence on the specifics. Simply put, he decided to see if dogs would suit his purpose for this project. By exposing them to a certain type of radiation for a certain amount of time, he was able to alter their genetic structure, making it more fluid so they could change from human to dog at will._

"_To facilitate his creations, he copied basic knowledge into their brains at the same time, leaving them with a grown man's ability to process and speak a single language, but they still have the capacity to learn. Of course, this whole process was inhumane and I urged him to stop. When he did not listen, I reported him to the police and tried to rescue as many of the dogs as I could. Unfortunately, my brother was not captured in the initial raid, which is why this continues._

"_To my knowledge, he has several labs set up around the country, although their exact location in unknown to me, I confined my work to one place. I have been following this development and have discovered that the high rates of disappearances are confined to certain cities. My brother must be working from there, although the exact location of his labs within the cities are still unknown."_

"_What about the dogs, are they safe?"_

"_Aside from some mental trauma that they should eventually get over easily, they are perfectly safe."_

"_And…the transformation?"_

"_Ah."_ Yakou dug around in his pocket for a moment before producing a collar, Solomon freezing as he recognized it. It was a simple orange strip of plastic, a number written on it in permanent marker_. "This would be around your dog's neck if they have had the treatment for transformations. As of now, any other colored collar is still unknown. I have few records and memories of my brother's cataloging system that could help, but I do not feel confident enough to say these suspicions as a sure thing._

"_The best thing to do is to treat your dog like a human when they do change, but it is best that they remain as dogs. It has been proven that skin tight clothing can withstand the transformation, so it is advised that, as a human, they wear that under looser clothes, which can easily be put to the side in one place before changing."_

"_Is there any was of curing this?"_

"_Unfortunately, no. Unless my brother comes up with another way or we catch him, they will remain like this for a while, which is why I caution owners to encourage their dogs to remain as dogs instead of allowing them to change whenever they want, they may forget what they started out as."_

"_And is there anything else we should do about this?"_

"_For now, there is nothing. But the city is producing tags that will go on these dog's collars. Their original collars should be alright for them to wear and should stay on them at all times, even as humans, but they will need to be put on a little looser. The tags will be ready to pick up two days from now from the local vet."_

"_And other advice for these owners?"_

"_Yes."_ Yakou glanced at the camera, looking serious. _"Please keep your dogs where you can see them. I am aware that this will force you to confine them to your house, but it is for the best. If you do go out, stick to open areas where there are lots of people around or other dogs. Try and keep your pets safe, because I'm not sure what other experiments my brother has running."_

Solomon reached for the remote and shut the television off, staring at the blank screen before looking down at Yugi, surprised to see the little dog shaking his head. Yugi stopped the motion and turned to look up at him, tipping his head to the side. "I won't forget."

"Yugi!"

The little dog whimpered and ducked his head. "Sorry. I thought you wouldn't mind now because they said we could."

Solomon stared at his dog, his heart beating quickly. His head said that this was wrong, wrong for his dog to be talking and wrong for Yugi to even understand him. But Yugi had been taken last night and he did have one of those orange collars. Solomon would just have to push himself to believe that this was true, for Yugi's sake. "No, don't apologize."

Yugi gave a wag of his tail before hopping off of the sofa, stretching his legs out. "Can I go play outside in the back? I promise that I won't go far."

"Alright." Solomon moved to open the door to the small backyard that he had, pausing before rushing back into the family room, picking up Yugi's collar. He rushed into the kitchen to grab some scissors before kneeling down to cut the orange collar off Yugi and place his original one back on. Solomon kept it loose before patting Yugi on the head. "I'll prop the door open. Just be sure to knock it shut when you come back in."

Yugi gave a nod before bustling out the door, racing around the small space before falling to the ground and rolling on the grass. Solomon watched Yugi prance around for a bit before going into the kitchen and taking out his records for the shop. Today was the one day that he didn't open the shop until later, leaving him time to do maintenance or catch up on his record keeping. He carefully placed himself so he would always have a clear view of where Yugi was, part of him trusting the small dog to keep himself safe.

* * *

"Malik?" He turned his head to look at his owner and her mate, waiting patiently for her to continue her thought. "Could you understand everything that they just said? Can you understand me?"

He stared at her for a while before glancing back at the screen. Malik considered the two questions, shifting so he could scratch at his ear before finally giving in. He just couldn't lie to his owner, not after everything. Malik sighed and set his leg back on the ground, nodding slowly. "I can understand you."

He tensed as he watched Ishizu tense, leaning forward to glance at her stomach before looking up at her face. He wanted to be sure that the pups that they were having would be safe. Malik got up from his place on the floor and walked over to Ishizu, resting his head on her lap. Automatically, she began stroking his head, Malik looking up at her with a soft whimper. Ishizu smiled, shaking her head. "Are you hurt?"

"No. They didn't hurt me." He hesitated before placing his paws on the couch, waiting to be shoved off per usual. Instead, Ishizu pulled him closer into a hug. Malik tensed for a moment before relaxing, glancing over at Mahad before gently licking Ishizu's face. "I'm fine."

"Good." She pulled away and gave him a little push to get off the sofa. Malik gave her a smile before complying, hopping down and sitting on the floor, looking at the two of them. Soon, they would have to go off to their jobs and he would stay and guard the house. When neither of them moved, he gave Ishizu's hand a nudge with his nose.

"Go on. I want to be kept in treats." He dodged away from her half hearted slap with a yip, wagging his tail as he watched her get up and start to gather her things for another day working in the museum. Malik stayed well back from the small hallway that led to the door, letting Ishizu and Mahad gather their things together before the two of them left, Malik leaning around the edge of the couch to hear them leave.

He waited for the click of the door before scrambling to his feet, heading for the stairs. He easily bounded up them, scrambling around the corner before nudging the door to Ishizu's room open, trotting in before he stood before the full length mirror that they had. Malik sat down for a moment, tipping his head to the side and staring at his reflection. He remembered staring at this mirror and seeing the reflected dog as a threat, but never as himself. And the humans had changed that in a single moment. He sighed before shifting, snarling as the move revealed the bright orange collar that was around his neck. He knew where his original one was, he would find that as soon as he removed this one.

Malik took a deep breath before closing his eyes. He had transformed once, back to a dog; he should be able to do it again. For a few moments, there was nothing, just the sound of his breathing. Then he felt something shift, his eyes opening for a moment before he shut them again. The sensation of shifting bones and muscles was strange, making him wince and whimper in pain. Malik hesitated when the pain grew to be too much but forced himself to complete the change, he wanted to be able to do this on command. He wanted to be able to protect his owner and her mate from harm.

When the pain stopped, he cautiously opened his eyes, his mouth falling open at the human that stared back him. Cautiously, he took a step closer to the mirror, stopping when he could rest a hand against the cold surface. His eyes went wide as he stared at himself, surprise at what the mirror was showing him.

As a human, he was thin and wiry, the suggestion of muscle there. He swallowed nervously, taking in the tan color of his skin before looking up at his platinum blonde hair that hung to about his shoulders. Malik tipped his head to the side, reaching down to where the orange plastic collar resting, fiddling with it before snarling. It would have to go soon. He forced himself to drop his hand, blinking and watching the lavender eyes in the mirror before turning away and walking down the stairs.

He paused at the bottom of the stairs before quickly skirting the places where he would be in full view of the windows, heading for the kitchen. Malik stuck close to the counter as he edged around, reaching for the scissors with one hand, smiling as he got a hold of them. He tipped his head back, opening the scissors and adjusting them until they were ready to cut through the plastic. Malik stood still, working the scissors through the tough plastic and giving a short laugh of relief when it came off.

He stared at the plastic in his hand before throwing it on the counter, remembering that the people on the news had said that they would need to save it. If Ishizu asked, he would just say that he got sick of the thing.

Malik put the scissors away, leaning back against the counter and rubbing his neck, glad to be free of the irritating thing. He never knew how much he liked his original collar until it was missing. He hummed to himself, removing his hand from his neck before stepping away from the counter, walking over to where his leash was kept by the door, snatching up his collar and putting it on. He paused with his fingers still on the buckle, staring at the wall before adjusting it for three holes looser than it usually was, wanting to be sure that he didn't strangle himself when he changed back.

He was considering using his human form to make a raid on the fridge when he heard a knock on the door, tensing before carefully walking over to it, creeping along the wall. Malik knew that it couldn't be Ishizu or Mahad, they would just walk in. His eyes narrowed, a growl escaping him as he reached the door, straightening himself up to push the curtains beside the small window aside, his eyes widening as he saw the dog from the night before standing on the porch. Malik hesitated a moment before lunging for a coat on the rack, some part of his new human consciousness urging him not to be caught naked. Securing the coat around him, he carefully unlocked the door and glanced down at the dog.

The sleek dog looked up at him, wagging its tail before tipping its head to one side, dark violet eyes staring at him. "Ah, there's the pretty dog."

Malik stared at the dog, not sure if he should blush or get angry at the statement. His body decided for him, his cheeks getting slightly red before he snapped, "I'm not pretty!"

The dog didn't seem to care, sitting down so it could scratch behind an ear, closing its eyes for a moment before looking back up at him. "Marik thinks so. Pretty dog!"

Malik stared at the dog outside his door, watching Marik begin to wag his tail, unsure of what to do. He had expected anything but this, complements and a perfectly happy dog on the other side of the door. Malik glanced back into the house, using the move to stall for time before looking back out the door. "Why are you talking like that?"

His question got a laugh from the dog, Malik turning to look as Marik shifted into a human, the human leaning against the doorframe, still laughing. "It's a habit of mine. Keeps the wrong people away and the right people listening." He tipped his head to the side, Malik freezing as Marik gave him a long look. "It kept you listening."

"It's just weird."

Marik shrugged. "It worked."

Malik had to nod at that, the muscles in his arm twitching as he thought about shutting the door, disappointed when his arm didn't obey him. He really wanted to slam the door on this one and go back to his plans for the day. There was a spot of sunlight that was just calling for him to nap in. Instead, he was stuck staring at this dog outside his door. Malik fought back a growl, looking over Marik quickly, telling himself that it was just for recognition purposes. He wanted to be able to send this dog away when he got the chance.

Marik was just about his height, maybe a bit taller because of the wild hair that he had, sticking up in spikes the same color as Malik's hair. Marik was just as tan as Malik, his dark violet eyes staring at Malik as he shook himself out of his reverie. Malik forced himself not to look too far down Marik's body, not wanting to see anything else.

He glared at Marik before slamming the door, leaning against the wood and gasping for breath. That was good, he was back in control of his body again. Malik scowled as he heard Marik on the other side of the door, swinging it open again to see him laughing against the side of the porch. Marik barely glanced over at him. "Very funny, pretty dog."

"I'm not pretty."

"Sure." Marik shook his head, looking out into the street. He stopped laughing for a second, staring at the mostly deserted street before looking back at Malik, the usual levity in his gaze gone. "Care to talk?"

"What?"

"You. Me. Talk. Here." Marik pushed away from the door frame, raising an eyebrow. "I'm sure you would like some more information on this. And I won't try to lure you away from this place."

Malik narrowed his eyes. "Why should I trust you?"

The crazy smile returned to Marik's face. "You have no reason not to."

"That's not a compelling reason."

"Is there a better one?"

That smile was getting to Malik, the smile that dared him to just go ahead to and do as Marik asked. He was fighting against the urge, knowing that he had to stay inside the house and it would be better if he avoided talking to this strange dog. But that daring smile…

"Alright." He rolled his eyes and shifted, shrugging off the coat at the last minute before hitting the floor on all fours. Malik padded out of the door and sat down on the porch, tensing as Marik shut the door a bit before shifting himself. As soon as he was done, Marik turned his dark violet eyes to Malik, sitting gracefully down on the porch before staring out into the street again.

"Ask away." Malik stared at the dog, watching as Marik glanced over at him before laughing, shaking his head. "I'll just talk then."

* * *

Yugi stretched out in the sun, panting from his running around the small yard. He smiled, wiggling closer to the ground before opening his eyes, giggling as he reached out to paw at a leaf that was close to his muzzle. Today was a nice day, good after the run of cold days that they had. So much better than winter. He was allowed to play outside on the warm days because Solomon worried about him. He didn't mind the worry, but he always felt like he would break something when he played in the house even if he was careful.

He sighed, yawning before looking back in the house. It felt too good to go back inside, but he felt like he was going to fall asleep soon. He didn't feel as safe to sleep outside as he once did before those dogs had taken him to that horrible place where they had changed him. Yugi whimpered before slowly getting to his feet, freezing as he smelled the dog just on the other side of the fence.

Yugi took a step back, glancing back at the house before advancing slowly, watching as the dog nudged his way though a gap in the boards. It was the dog who had brought him home, he would recognize the red eyes and the dark colored coat. Yugi smiled and wagged his tail, nearly prancing up to the dog. The dog took a step back, unsure of Yugi. The smaller dog blinked and sat down. "Hello."

"Hello."

"You can come over. My owner won't mind." Yugi stood up and backed up, letting the dog take a graceful leap over the plants that were planted at the bottom of the fence. He smiled at the dog before going back to his patch of sunlight and lying on the ground. "Thanks for last night."

"It's my job." The dog sounded confused as he slowly lay down on the ground, glancing back at the house before completely settling down. "It's nothing."

"Of course it is." Yugi wagged his tail happily. "You saved me."

"So did you." Yugi tipped his head to the side in confusion. This dog confused him, refusing to take credit for his actions and brushing them off. He sighed and shook his head, rolling over onto his back to look up at the dog.

"It means a lot to me."

"But that's just what I do, little one." The dog froze at the nickname that slipped out, Yugi just smiling to show that he didn't mind. He liked having this dog around, he felt safe and protected. "I save the dogs that Gekkou has taken and experimented on."

"Was that you once, being experimented on?"

The dog hesitated for a while before nodding. "Yes."

Yugi whimpered and rolled back onto his stomach, standing up and walking over to the dog and rubbing against him before curling up close to him. He didn't notice that the dog had tensed, enjoying the closeness to another creature. "I'm sorry."

"It was awhile ago, Yugi."

He looked up at the dog, tipping his head to the side. "How come you know my name but I don't know yours?"

"I heard it from your owner last night when I brought you back." The dog blinked, glancing over at the house before looking down at Yugi again. "My name is Atemu."

Yugi nodded before shifting, moving closer to Atemu with the move. He glanced up at the dog shivered before resting his head on his paws, staring at the house. "Why can't you just sneak into those places as humans and collect the evidence that you would need to save all of the dogs?"

"What?"

"It would be easier," Yugi continued his train of thought, "to just get all the information that you would need as humans than to just try and save the dogs as you can. It would stop the dog-nappings."

"Yes, but Gekkou knows what we look like as humans."

"True."

"And there are many temptations that come with the ability to turn into a human. It…It is better than we try to remain as dogs only because that is what we are."

Yugi frowned at that, the speech sounding rehearsed, something that Atemu told himself everyday. He turned his head to look at Atemu, noticing that the dog was frowning and staring off into the distance. Yugi shifted slightly, but remained silent for a while, sorting through his own thoughts.

He didn't quite believe what Atemu had said. Of course there were differences between being a dog and being human, but that was true about everything. And it was wrong to think that they were just dogs. Gekkou, had done something to them to create the hybrid form that they were in so they _weren't_ just dogs and his gut feeling was telling him that there would be no way that they would be able to be restored to just dogs again, no matter what was said. So the only thing left to them was to adapt.

It was strange, dealing with the human version of his senses, the overlay a bit different, but he was slowly learning to cope. Eventually, he assumed that he would be able to live with the extra information that was being put into his brain.

But this meant that he could spend more time with his owner. He had seen that Solomon was lonely, his own pup not returning home as often as she should. And, even though Solomon tried to hide it, he could see that the elderly man was lonely. It was a big world to suddenly find yourself alone it and Yugi felt like he should thank Solomon for taking him in and being patient with him. After all, he still acted so much like a puppy. Now part of him felt guilty for acting like that when he was so old, but he didn't want to give that up. That was as much a part of him as his tail or his nose. He wasn't going to change himself unless he had to. He was happy the way he was, even if that included being some strange mix of human and dog.

Yugi smiled to himself, gently rocking so that he would bump into Atemu, drawing the larger dog's attention to him. "What's the matter with that? It's what we are."

"Yugi…"

"It's true. We're not like anything out there at the moment, we're a combination of two things. Why should we give up one thing for the sake of the other?" Yugi gave a nod before stretching out more, liking being able to lean against Atemu. He sighed happily, snuggling closer to Atemu in an attempt to get comfortable. "The way we think isn't like a dog anymore, but we can't help it. Are you going to be punished for that? Whoever said that was obviously not thinking about these things. We could try and prevent ourselves from that, but it's nearly impossible."

He heard Atemu make a high pitched sound of surprise, about to turn his head to look at Atemu when he heard his owner bustling around in the house, giving a soft whine and looking up. He saw Solomon pass the slightly open door, tipping his head to the side as the elderly man walked down to the shop, probably to open it. Yugi sighed, resting his head back on his paws. "Why did they take me?"

"There was no reason."

"I know that." Yugi shrugged, turning his head so he could look at Atemu. "But overall. I know they wouldn't have chosen me specifically. I'm nothing."

"No you're not."

Yugi gave Atemu a long look. "I'm a runt. I was the smallest pup in my litter. The only thing I'm good for is keeping an old man happy, not that I mind that. Still," Yugi shook his head and looked back to the house, "would it be too hard for the world to find a special reason for me?"

He closed his eyes, surprised when he felt Atemu curl around him. Yugi glanced up at the other dog, surprised to see a happy expression on his face. Yugi stared at him for a moment before happily shifting backwards, licking Atemu's cheek in thanks. At least he knew that he was genuinely liked by two people. The others just liked him because he was cute. He had learned early on that cute would get him attention, and a possible escape from a bad situation. But he honestly just wanted to be able to act the way he wanted, to be able to play and act like a puppy sometimes because that was just who he was. "Thank you, Atemu."

There was a sleepy rumble from the dog, Yugi chuckling to himself as he realized that the sun was putting Atemu to sleep. In fact, he was getting sleepy too. Yugi whined before standing up beginning to walk back into the house. After everything that had happened, he was not risking sleeping out here. He was halfway to the house when a whine made him turn around.

Atemu had sat up, blinking at him in confusion. Yugi smiled and tipped his head toward the house. "Come on. I don't want to chance being caught out here."

"They never hunt in the day."

"I still don't want to chance it." Yugi stretched, giving a shake before trotting inside. "I'm sure that my owner wouldn't mind if you came in. After all, you did save me."

"I told you, it was nothing."

"Stop saying that. It was something to me." He watched as Atemu hesitated before getting to his feet. Yugi strolled into the house, waiting until Atemu had followed him before knocking the door shut. He smiled up at Atemu before bounding over to his bed, mussing up the blanket that was on it before lying down with a happy sigh. He thought he heard Atemu laugh, but he was distracted as he felt the blanket being nudged out from under him, Atemu widening the nest that he had made so he could stretch out behind Yugi. Yugi gave a wag of his tail before curling up against Atemu with a happy sigh.

* * *

Seto waited by the front gates of the local elementary school, having carefully placed himself in the shade to keep from overheating. His coat was not the best for the warm weather and, even despite the shade, he was already panting in an attempt to cool down. But he had to be here, especially since Aknadin wasn't able to pick up Noa and Mokuba, something else going wrong at the company. So it was up to Seto to make sure that the two boys arrived home safely.

He scanned the schoolyard, also keeping on the alert for any of Dartz's team of dogs or anything that would lead him closer to Gekkou. Their slow progress on that front was annoying him. If he were allowed to work alone, then it would have been done sooner. Or, better yet, if he had been the leader of the team, this would be done and over with. Maybe then Yakou wouldn't have had to make an appearance on television warning the people about it. Now Gekkou knew that they were on his trail and it would be harder to find him.

Seto growled to himself, cutting the sound off and sitting up as he heard the bell ring, his tail beginning to wag despite himself. It was one of the few parts of the day that he looked forward to. His blue eyes scanned the crowd of children, even resorting to standing on his hind legs in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the familiar head of black or green hair. He cut off his happy yip as he saw the two, quickly reminding himself that he would _not_ make those sounds.

Noa broke into a run, easily outstripping Mokuba. He threw his school bag to one side before wrapping his arms around Seto's neck with a laugh, hugging the husky. "Hello Seto!"

The husky was startled into a laugh, a smile crossing his face as he leaned slightly into the hug. "Did you behave yourselves today?"

"Of course." Mokuba was standing behind Noa, trying to stand up taller. "We were the best behaved in the class!"

"Really now?" Seto shook his head, Noa reluctantly letting go. The husky glanced around the schoolyard, his eyes narrowing as he spotted the usual culprits of trouble, beginning to walk back home. Automatically, Noa and Mokuba followed him, Noa noticing the boys and leaning a bit to rest a hand on Seto. The husky glanced towards the boys and growled a bit, watching as they immediately turned away. It wouldn't keep them from tormenting his two charges forever, but that was one day's disaster averted.

Sensing that they were safe from danger, Mokuba and Noa relaxed, the black haired boy keeping close to Seto as Noa darted ahead. Seto shook his head, keeping an eye on Noa as he turned his head to talk to Mokuba. "Was Noa lying?"

"About the best behaved? Yeah." Mokuba nodded, glancing back at the school before adjusting the strap of his backpack. "We have to be or they'll just call Dad, not that he would care. But the threat is still there. And Dad doesn't need to be brought out of work…"

"So you behave yourselves?"

"Yeah." Mokuba nodded. "But it was hard to stay awake for me and, since I wasn't paying attention, Noa got teased again."

"Did he do anything this time?"

"No. I told him to just ignore it, and he did." Mokuba shrugged, glancing over at his adopted brother. The way Noa was racing back and forth between where Seto and Mokuba were, no one could tell that anything was wrong. But Noa was good at hiding his emotions, just like Mokuba. They had both grown up with their parents absent, Mokuba's more out of the need to keep them both afloat that Noa. Gozaburo had just left Noa to his own devices until he thought that the boy was ready to be groomed to be the next CEO of the company. Seto shook his head and watched Noa race back towards him.

"That's good."

"Seto?"

"Hm?" He swung his head to look at Mokuba, watching as the boy played with the straps of his backpack. Mokuba glanced up at him once before shaking his head, lapsing into silence. Seto continued to look at him, waiting for Mokuba to speak, his head tilted to one side.

Finally, Mokuba seemed to get up the courage to actually speak, gently stroking Seto's head. "Will they ever stop?"

Seto glanced up at Mokuba, considering lying to the boy just to have Mokuba smile. But, in the end, it was more practical to tell the truth. "No."

To his surprise, Mokuba just hung his head and shrugged. "Thought not."

_

* * *

Please read and review. Constructive criticism is welcome._


	5. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

Ryou was having tea with Victoria, although he was stuck with water as Amane's mother sipped her tea. It had quickly become a daily ritual between the two of them. He would have taken his human form and had tea with Victoria, but Amane might bring a friend home and, to the rest of the world, their household only had a dog and not a teenage boy. Ryou sighed and glanced up at Victoria, his brown eyes wide and pleading. The woman laughed, setting her cup down and leaning over to pat Ryou's head. "Don't worry, I'll let you have some at dinner."

He wagged his tail, turning his head as he heard the bus stopping outside. Victoria blinked and then stood up, walking over to the door and opening it. Ryou stretched before wandering over to the door, looking around Victoria's legs to watch as the bus opened up its doors, the kids rushing out on their way home. He glanced over all of them before edging forward, wagging his tail as he spotted Amane running towards them. The girl waved, pushing back her white hair as she rushed up the steps and into the house, Ryou moving backwards to allow her in.

"How was school?"

Amane hesitated for a moment, glancing down at Ryou before looking up at her mother. She played with a loose thread on her school jacket, walking into the family room and setting her backpack down before flopping in a chair. Ryou whined and followed her, resting his head on her leg and looking up at her, worried when she just looked down at him.

Ryou lifted his head from Amane's lap as Victoria walked in, Amane's mother taking a seat in another chair and leaning forward to talk to her daughter. "What happened?"

"Someone brought up what has been happening to the dogs. They said that the news said something about it." Amane picked at the thread some more before releasing it, glancing down at Ryou before looking back up at her mother. "The teacher said that it was cruel to animals and we all agreed. And then she said something about them being put out of their misery. And…I remember that we had to do that to our old dog…Do you think that it's right?"

"Amane." She looked quickly down at Ryou, the Cocker Spaniel smiling and bracing himself on the chair so he could rest a paw on her leg. "Amane, no one is going to take me away. I'm happy here."

"But they said that it was bad and that it hurt dogs. Were you hurt?"

Ryou blinked up at her, glancing over at Victoria before nodding. "But it was worth it, because I got to come here and live with you. That little bit of pain was worth it, Amane."

"I hear you come in at night, Ryou, after you finish saving the others. And there are times that I'm afraid that you didn't come back because I'm dreaming. And, I'm scared." Ryou was pulled into an awkward hug, the Cocker Spaniel shifting until they were both able to remain in that position comfortably. Amane sniffled and hugged him tighter, Ryou looking over to Victoria. "I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

"I'll try my best, Amane. But I have others who can help me." Ryou smiled before wiggling out of the hug and stretching out on the floor by Amane's feet, looking up at her. "Other than that, how was your day?"

It was better to just avoid the subject for now. It was something that he suspected, the reason that he was glad that they were no closer to figuring out how to stop Gekkou. If there was trouble, they could always be moved, picked up and transported to the next city that needed them, maybe halfway around the world. And if that happened once it could happen again; which was Ryou's greatest fear. He loved the family he had been put with and he didn't want to leave. He was sure that the others felt the same way, but they had all been dogs from the street or shelters.

Ryou tipped his head to the side as he continued to listen to Amane talk about her day, the girl getting up from her seat and rushing over to her backpack at one point to show off a good test grade. The white Cocker Spaniel smiled to himself, stretching out on the floor and rolling over onto his side, still listening intently. In his opinion, there was no better place than here to be. The others could argue that they wanted their own way of life back, but this was so much better.

"What about your homework, Amane?" Ryou opened one eye, laughing as Amane blinked before giving a squeak, rushing to collect her backpack and rush upstairs. He rolled over onto his stomach, shaking his head before standing up.

"I'll go watch her."

"Good. Make sure she doesn't get distracted." Victoria waved him on, disappearing into the kitchen to cook dinner. Ryou nodded, although he was sure that the woman didn't catch the gesture, rushing up the stairs to his small alcove. He peeked out into the hall before pressing himself into the alcove, sighing as he changed into a human, so used to the process that it no longer hurt. He slipped loose clothes over his skin tight ones, pushing his hair out of his eyes before walking down the hall to Amane's room.

He suspected that he spent the most time as a human out of all of the members of their team. He had tried to just be a dog, as Yakou had advised them, but he found no problem with being both human and dog, joining into more of the family activities as a human. And he didn't regret it.

Ryou knocked on Amane's door, opening it cautiously when he heard her welcome him in, smiling at the brightly colored room. His gaze drifted to the butterflies painstakingly stenciled on the walls before going to sit on the bed, watching as Amane worked at her desk, the girl tapping the pencil on the desk when she came to something that confused her. Ryou watched the routine for a moment before rolling over onto his back, grunting as Amane flopped onto him, clutching a book.

"What you reading this time?"

"Nothing important." Amane shrugged, quickly opening the book. Ryou tried to twist to be able to read the title, disappointed when he couldn't. Amane just gave him a bright smile before focusing on the book again. "It's not fantasy."

"So it's not interesting?"

"Exactly." Ryou let it rest at that, closing his eyes and just enjoying the moment.

* * *

"So, you're telling me that something wrong might come up?" Marik smiled at Malik, watching as the dog thought over what he had said. It was interesting to watch Malik when he let his guard down. While the snappishness was still there, something that Marik wouldn't have wished away in the first place, there was a more gentle and mellow side, something as equally as attractive as the guarded dog. He smiled to himself, making sure to look away as he did so. Malik still didn't trust him completely, but Marik couldn't blame him.

It was all a matter of getting past that point.

"Wrong like how?"

"Against your ideas of existence wrong." Marik turned to look back at the street, tensing a bit as he thought he saw a bit of white fur. He didn't want the others to find him here, didn't want them to find the one place that he could be himself, the one escape route that he was planning.

There was something wrong with this whole thing, he could just sense it. Marik didn't know what, and he refused to look into it. He didn't have that kind of patience. He has his own agenda to focus on, namely finding out a way to make Malik like him.

Marik looked over at the dog as Malik laughed, shaking his head. "Oh, this is ridiculous. I'm sitting here listening to you tell me about how my life will change. It's already changed and I'm going to deal with it."

"Not caught up in the obvious dilemma, are you?" Marik laughed himself, stretching out to lie down on the front porch. "Most would be agonizing over what they are."

"It doesn't matter. I am what I am. Those humans did something to me and…" Malik trailed off, staring off into the distance. Marik watched him for a moment before snorting and resting his head on his paws. Of course this one would break now. Apparently, he had misjudged this dog. It was a repeat of the others that he had seen.

They would all start out alright until the truth of their situation hit them. It would beginning with the staring off into the distance, and then the shock. Then, they would try and deny their situation, finally leaning on the hope that there would be something that they could do. Yakou promised that there _might_ be something, but that usually translated into false hope. They would promise to do anything to help Yakou, to bring down his brother in the chase for that hope, but Marik thought he knew the truth; or at least enough of it.

He had gone with Bakura on the early raids of Gekkou's lab, when they had been able to both free the dogs and search for anything useful. But the scientist didn't have anything on the transformation processes much less a way to reverse it. Instead, he had plans in various stages of completion, things that Marik wouldn't have expected from the man. Eventually, they had stopped their searches, the addition of Raphael and the others making it too dangerous to remain in the lab for too long.

Still, the false hope that the other dogs clung to annoyed him. There was a slim chance that there was a way to change them back. And, even if they changed back, there was a lot that they would be missing. All this knowledge, all of these senses, all of the ideas…it was all wonderful in a horrible way. It subverted every thought that he had once had, but it was too much to let go of. He would live the rest of his life like this.

"The humans did something to me." Malik swallowed, Marik looking back up at the dog and waiting for the conclusion that the dog had come to. Malik glanced over at him before shrugging, the shock look leaving his face. "That's the sum of it. It's something that I assume can't be undone, so what's the point of wishing?"

"Oh, there are many points to wishing."

Malik had stood up, the dog already halfway into his house. Marik reluctantly sat up, knowing that his time with the dog was up. But they had talked for most of the day, so it wasn't a complete loss. There was still a chance with the dog. He stood up slowly, watching as Malik retreated into the house, pausing to look back at Marik. "Not as far as I am concerned."

"Hopefully someone can change that."

"And you think that you can?"

Marik nodded with a laugh. "I might try that, if it means that I can come back."

Malik gave him a long, appraising look, Marik getting to his feet, smiling as he saw something that looked like interest flicker in Malik's eyes. Even if it was to see if he could pull off what he bragged about, that was enough for Marik. He could live from chance to chance. He focused back on Malik as the dog gave an annoyed sigh, the sound fake. "If you have to. Just don't bother me too much."

"Anything for the pretty dog."

"Don't call me that."

"Of course, pretty." His answer was to have the door slammed shut, Marik laughing to himself as he stared at the front door before turning and walking off the porch. That alone was an invitation to come back, and a challenge. Marik chuckled to himself, trotting down the sidewalk. He enjoyed challenges; that was the only reason that he was still with the group instead of going his own way.

Well, he was still there for Atemu and Bakura, the only ones to seemed to be actually thinking. Joey and Seto were too focused on their job to pay attention to anything in the end and Ryou was just too quiet. Marik suspected that he was the most adjusted out of all of them. He wouldn't fix what wasn't broken. Instead, he would only focus on the two that seemed to need his help. Joey and Seto annoyed him anyway.

Marik snorted, glancing to one side as he moved, looking for a small white dog. He had thought that he had seen Bakura a couple of times during the day, but that could have been his own paranoia. He hadn't wanted anything to interrupt his time with Malik. He shook his head, cursing the man who had done this to him before cautiously crossing the street; breaking into a run as a car came speeding his way. Marik snarled, withholding a few choice words before trotting off.

"There you are." He paused at the sound of the familiar voice, smiling as he saw Bakura slipping out of the shadows. He tipped his head to the side before walking over to Bakura, sitting down on the sidewalk. Bakura ambled up to him, giving Mark a warning growl before settling down himself. "I've been looking for you all day. I thought we were going to watch for Raphael's group to make their move? Where the hell were you?"

Marik hung his head, pretending to be sorry. "Marik sorry. Marik distracted by pretty dog."

Bakura stared at him for a long moment before rolling his eyes. "Of course you were. Marik…"

"Does Bakura not know what to do with Marik?" He tipped his head to the side, smiling and wagging his tail. "Marik knows. Marik can take care of himself."

The white dog started at him for a while longer before sighing and beginning to walk away. "Come on Marik, we have a job to do, or Seto will be on our tails."

They shared an equal look of loathing before moving off, Marik automatically falling in behind Bakura. He knew their pattern of searching well. Bakura would move through the alleyways, able to hide better than he could in the small spaces and he would cover the outside. He gave a nod to Bakura before taking off at a run, glad that he was away from Bakura for a while.

For his plan to go right, he would have to get Bakura to his side as well as Atemu. If there were three out of their team of six, then they could resist anything that Yakou asked them to do. Marik growled to himself. After what had happened to him, he wasn't quite ready to trust all humans as blindly as the others. He was almost completely sure that Ryou and Joey would side with him, which would mean that the desertion wouldn't break down into fighting as he was afraid it would. Marik knew his limits.

He paused in his run, sniffing the air before lowering his nose to the ground, circling in place before moving off. He would see where this was going and then call Bakura over later. He wanted to be sure that this wasn't a false alarm, there had been too many in the past few months.

Marik coughed as he moved along, hating the disgusting smells that came from living in a city, forcing himself to ignore them. It didn't take him long to reach the park, Marik lifting his head a bit and growling to himself before moving onward.

He was sure that it was the team that had assembled under Dartz, he knew these scents too well. They had been chasing after these four since they had come to Domino. Marik snarled to himself, picking up his pace as he ran through the park. A glance toward the sky showed the sun was setting, the clouds dyed in reds and oranges as the sun sank. Marik pulled himself up from the chase, glancing at where the trail led before deciding that he was far enough away. They would hear the call anyway. He shrugged to himself before tipping his head back and howling.

Marik held still for a moment, tensed. His head jerked to the side as he heard something move in the bushes. Marik snarled as he saw the red setter peaking out of the trees before disappearing. So they had been close. Marik wanted nothing more than to run after Alastair, but he had to wait until he heard the response call. He cursed Atemu and Seto for this, hesitating a moment longer before taking off.

In the distance, he heard Bakura's answer, but he didn't bother to reply back, it would just get them here faster. In the meantime, he would see where Alastair would take him. He raced through the trees, yelping as a branch slapped him below the eye. He let out a curse before lunging for the flash of red fur that he saw, snarling as he slipped. He slid across the ground, groaning as he picked himself up. By now, Alastair had gotten away.

Marik cursed Atemu and Seto again before circling to pick up the scent again. He forced himself to slow down and track them carefully, wanting to have something to show for the others when they got there. Even if he had no real stake in these events, he didn't want it to break out into a fight. He was sure that, while he could beat Joey, it would be tough beating Seto and Atemu. It would also break up the resistance that he was setting up.

"Marik!" He looked over at Bakura, noticing that the dog was shaking off the collar around his neck, discarding the communicator tag. "The damn thing is broken."

"Marik's went last night."

Bakura cursed, pacing around in a circle before looking up at Marik. "Get the others, I'll continue to track."

"Marik bred to track. Bakura find others, Marik track."

"You have longer legs than I do! You can run faster." Bakura glared at him, Marik growling and getting ready to argue when the white dog shook his head. "No arguments, you get the others and then find me."

Marik grumbled before turning around and sprinting toward the nearest house, glancing back towards were Bakura was disappearing into the forest and planning. He was always planning now. Hopefully a day would come when he wouldn't have to plan anymore. But that would be the day that he had figured out how to get free of this voluntary service. And, hopefully, it would be the day that Malik invited him into his house. Marik had to smile at that thought. He was looking forward to that day.

* * *

"Ah, so you are the owner of that dog?" Atemu paused as he heard Solomon laugh, his attention drawn back to Yugi as the smaller dog gave the rope a tug, focusing on their game of tug-of-war. He gave a playful growl, slowly backing up and dragging Yugi across the floor as the smaller dog tried to brace himself. He was treated to a glare for that move, holding back a laugh as Yugi tried to make up for the ground that he had lost, Atemu simply bracing himself and letting Yugi tire himself out.

Finally, the little dog sat on the floor, staring up at Atemu before dropping his end of the rope. "You've got a bit of an advantage."

"Not much of one." Atemu spoke around the rope before dropping it to the ground, watching as Yugi panted for breath. He smiled to himself as the little dog gave a shake before ambling over to where Atemu sat, his attention attracted by people coming up the steps that led up from the game shop. He tipped his head to the side, relaxing a bit as he saw Solomon and Mana emerge from the shop, the teenager sighing in relief before rushing over to Atemu.

"You scared us half to death running off like that! We didn't know what had happened since you're usually out at night!" Atemu rolled his eyes, yelping at the poke to his side, trying to glare at Mana. His resolve broke as she put on a perfectly pitiful face, Atemu whimpering and nudging her hand.

"I'm sorry. I just distracted."

"Yugi probably encouraged him to play." Atemu looked away from Mana, watching as the old man sat on a chair, Yugi immediately bounding over. "Didn't you Yugi?"

The little dog looked embarrassed, staring down at his paws and shifting nervously in place. Solomon and Atemu broke into laughter, the latter being dealt a glare from Yugi. Atemu just smiled back at the little dog, tipping his head to the side and giving a shrug. Yugi rolled his eyes before looking up at Solomon. "He didn't mind."

Atemu glanced over at Mana, seeing her staring at Yugi in amazement and chuckled. She hadn't realized that he had been one of the dogs that had been changed. He leaned toward her, Mana wrapping an arm around him before looking at Yugi. "Did you…"

Yugi blinked up at her before looking down with a nod, Mana immediately rushing over to cuddle the little dog close. Yugi glanced up at Mana before looking over at Atemu, apparently confused by the sudden display of affection. Atemu just shrugged, tilting his head to the side and watch as Mana fawned over Yugi. Usually he would be jealous of another dog getting the attention that he usually deemed as his but, with Yugi, it was fine. He hummed to himself before settling back to watch, a position that he didn't get to stay in long.

Mana glanced down at her watch and gasped, Atemu blinking in surprise as she stood up, walking back towards the shop. "Thanks for keeping him all day, Mr. Mutou. I've got to get home now. Atemu."

He perked up but walked over to Mana's side, pausing to look over his shoulder at Yugi. His heart sank as he saw the disappointment in Yugi's eyes, Yugi quickly hiding it and wagging his tail. "I'll see you around then, Atemu."

Atemu nodded, walking down the stairs with Mana and out into the street, waiting for the teenager to catch up with him before they began walking in the direction of their home. Mana sighed and shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans, staring at the sidewalk. Atemu tipped his head, watching her carefully before speeding up a bit to catch a glimpse of her face. He whimpered to get her attention, watching as she turned to look at him. "Mana?"

"I thought you had left."

"What?" Atemu shook his head. "Mana, why would I do that?"

"I don't know. People have their reasons, and sometimes they don't tell anyone." She ran a hand through her hair, the look on her face disappearing suddenly, being replaced by a smile. "Anyway, what about you? How was your day?"

"Mana." He growled out her name, watching her duck her head again. Atemu sighed and glared ahead of him, trying not to look at the teenager. If he did, his glare might have shocked her into silence again. "Why would I do that?"

"Everyone else has."

"That's not true."

"Says you." Atemu looked back at her, staring at her before shaking his head and looking forward again.

"I'm part of your family, Mana. I won't leave."

"She was too. That didn't stop her."

"Mana!" Atemu turned to stand in her way, glaring up at her. Slowly, she raised her eyes from the sidewalk, staring at him. Atemu waited a moment, sure that he had her attention before speaking. "I am different. I won't leave."

She gave him a nod before stepping around him, leaving him standing on the sidewalk. Atemu whimpered, turning so he could look at Mana before rushing after her, his eyes widening as she broke into a run. He growled to himself, scrambling around the corner before sprinting down the street that led to their house. "Mana!"

She was already ahead of him, slamming the door to the house. Atemu slowed his run, turning to race down the small grassy alley between the houses before ducking through the hole in the fence and slipping through the dog door, panting for breath. He tipped his head as he heard one of the bedroom doors slam, heaving a sigh before walking towards the kitchen, knowing that Akhnamkanon would be in there.

He was proven right, lingering at the door and watching as the man walked around the kitchen, making a sandwich before leaning against the counter. Akhnamkanon spotted him, raising an eyebrow before setting his sandwich down and raising an eyebrow. "She was worried about you."

"I know."

"It took a while for me to convince her that finding you could wait until most of her homework was done."

"I should have called or…" He trailed off, confused as Akhnamkanon waved a hand, the motion silencing him.

"I don't think we have the right to expect you to. After all, you are a dog first and foremost, none of our silly human traditions." Akhnamkanon took a bite of his sandwich, chewing for a while before swallowing, seeming to take the time to think over something. "And she just has to learn to trust some people. I understand why she is hesitant, but nothing stays the same long enough for the kind of security that she wants."

Atemu glanced up at the ceiling in the general direction of where Mana's room was. He stared at the spot for a while before looking down at the floor, slowly stretching out until he was lying on the cold linoleum. Atemu flinched at the cool temperature before focusing on Akhnamkanon again. "What happened to her mother? I know that she's gone but, nothing else."

Akhnamkanon sighed, leaning heavily on the counter before glancing over at Atemu, his gaze constantly moving around to some other point of the room. "When Mana was almost two, I decided to move to get a better job. Her mother seemed fine with the move and she was happy for a while. Or at least she was good at hiding from it. I really didn't suspect that anything was wrong. And then, one day, I came home and she was gone. She never came back again.

"I spent a few days trying to find her and figure out why she would leave us. I had even more time to spend with Mana and her with this new job and we hadn't moved too far away from where her family was. I still don't know. But I tried to get in contact with her and all I got was 'No more'. Eventually, I gave up. I had to raise Mana." Akhnamkanon shrugged. "I guess I've gotten over it. It still stings some, but I'd rather have Mana around than having her mother around as well complaining. I like it here and don't plan to move back."

"And Mana?"

"I'm not too sure about her." Akhnamkanon ran a hand through his hair. "She probably just wants to know why her mother ran off, and that's bugged her for years now. And she'll never get that. But she's also so sensitive about people leaving, probably because she's afraid that it's because of her that they are leaving."

Atemu nodded slowly. "I can understand that fear, but she has no basis for it. She's a good girl."

Silence fell between them, Akhnamkanon finishing his sandwich before moving into the other room, Atemu remaining on the kitchen floor. He sighed and lowered his head to rest on his paws, staring at the cabinets without really seeing the wood. He was too busy thinking back on his own life, the one he had before all of this mess caused by Gekkou. Atemu smothered a growl at the thought of the scientist, closing his eyes.

He hadn't known any family before this, he had just been another stray. And he hadn't tried to gather other dogs around him. It was hard enough to live on his own, he hadn't wanted the company. Something in him made him a bit of a loner, even now. He was perfectly happy on his own, but he was happier with his family. Atemu opened one eye and smiled. He would trade all his days on the streets for this.

He must have dozed off, because he started at the soft bark from behind him. Atemu blinked, standing up and turning to face the room. He carefully padded into the next room, his eyes focused on the flap that suddenly lifted before falling shut. Atemu blinked before smiling, Ryou wouldn't come in unless invited. He glanced back towards the laundry room before deciding that he could go one night without changing into a human before slipping out of the flap.

The white Cocker Spaniel backed away, making room for him as he moved out into the yard. Atemu glanced down at the Cocker Spaniel before taking a deep breath, catching the scents of the others on his team. He stared at the sky for a moment, twitching an ear. "What do we have now?"

"Bakura saw Valon and Alastair heading out earlier tonight, which means that they're going to meet the others." Ryou paused to take a breath. "He's tracking them now."

"So, we're early enough to prevent another group of changeling dogs?"

"Possibly."

Atemu narrowed his eyes, glancing back at the house. He would probably be missed, as the sun was just beginning to set, but he didn't have the time to worry about that now. This was his _job_, it superseded family. Atemu nodded to himself, mentally acknowledging that he would have to apologize to Mana again before turning towards Ryou and nodding, the white dog taking off towards the loose fence board. The two slipped through, Atemu nodding as he saw Seto and Joey on the other side. Marik was lurking somewhere deeper in the shadows, Atemu not bothering to look for the dog.

Marik was a law unto himself, but Atemu didn't doubt that he would follow them. Marik, behind all that insanity, was loyal. And, if they really were the same with their problem, then he would probably stick by Atemu just to have someone to talk to, or torture. Atemu didn't care either way; Marik was his usual partner for distractions and they needed the dog.

Atemu glanced over the group before jerking his head in the direction of the sidewalk. "Ready to hunt?"

He got a few nods in response, Atemu turning and trotting away, keeping his gaze focused ahead of him as he heard Marik come up beside him. "Where are they?" Marik opened his mouth to speak, Atemu lowering his voice so that the others wouldn't hear him. "Normally."

The Vizla pouted for a moment before dropping his head and whispering. "Bakura and I had chased them to the park before he sent me after the others."

"Alright, so we start there." Atemu turned, sprinting off despite the shouts from the rest of the team. They would all catch up eventually, and he would have to slow to navigate the forest and search properly for Bakura, but right now he wanted to run. He turned his head slightly, seeing Marik keeping up with him, careful never to edge too far ahead and usurp Atemu's position, something that Atemu appreciated.

His paws hit the grass of the park, the Pharaoh Hound jerking his head in the signal to split up, cursing the lack of the communicator that they had once had. He could see that Marik had disposed of his collar completely, and suspected that Bakura had as well, or he wouldn't have sent Marik to get them. That meant the other communicators were either on the fritz or already dead. The set back would slow them down even more.

Atemu slowed, glancing at Marik before eying a stand of trees in the distance. "Marik, go there, try to see if you can find Bakura or any kind of scent."

He paused as a familiar smell, glancing over at Marik as the Vizla picked it up as well. Marik lowered his nose and moved towards the edge of the trees before sneezing. "He's taunting you."

"Well, then I can't let this stand, can I?" Atemu smirked, waiting until Marik had stared toward his assigned portion of the park before dashing off into the woods.

He raced through the undergrowth, smiling as he saw a flicker of golden fur. He slowed for a moment before throwing himself sideways, knocking Raphael and himself off their feet, tumbling through the trees. Atemu snarled, scrambling to his feet before lunging for the other dog. Raphael barely had time to turn his head to figure out what had hit him before Atemu was pressing him back into the dirt, growling.

Raphael struggled for a moment before going still, staring up at Atemu. "Is this revenge for last night?" The dog looked around before chuckling. "I don't see your little friend here to save you."

"I don't need anyone's help."

"Is that why you run around with the bunch of them?" Raphael laughed, shaking his head. "You six are the most useless of all the teams. It makes me wonder why Yakou puts up with you."

"He trusts us!"

"So he says. But can you trust humans?"

Atemu didn't hesitate, leaning down to close his jaws around Raphael's throat when he felt something bump against his leg, tipping his head. He snarled to himself when he saw that Raphael was prepared to knock him over if he moved. Atemu shook his head and looked back at Raphael. "Really?"

"If it gets you away and saves my life, yes." Raphael seemed to gloat for a moment before becoming serious again. "Why are you doing this, Atemu?"

"Because Yakou saved our lives and he's working on saving the lives of other dogs who have been made to do this.

"Oh good." Atemu looked up, glaring at Dartz as the bulky dog walked over to him. He snarled as Dartz moved too close, wanting to back away from the dog but not wanting to let Raphael up. "The standard response."

"Go to hell, Dartz!"

"Not unless I'm taking you with me." Dartz chuckled to himself before he glanced off into the woods, Atemu slowly looking up and realizing that Valon and Alister had joined them. He blinked before looking back over at Dartz, slowly backing away from Raphael. Dartz chuckled. "Good boy. You serve your master well."

"He's not my master."

"Really? You act like he is. You follow his orders, dropping everything to do the job that he has given you."

"Don't you do that, Dartz? You serve that monster."

"Ah." Dartz laughed, shaking his head before jerking his head to the side. Raphael got to his feet, smirking at Atemu before moving off, Valon and Alister remaining at their posts. Atemu glanced up at them one more time before looking back at Dartz, recoiling as he realized how close the other dog was to him. "But we have freedom serving 'that monster' and you don't. Eventually what freedom you have will be taken away."

"It won't. I trust Yakou."

"You? Trust a human? I thought you were a street dog, Atemu? A stray? I hear that you were famous where you came from. And now you're working with the humans? I would think that you wouldn't trust them."

"I could say the same for you."

Dartz laughed again, beginning to walk off. "I don't trust Gekkou, we merely work together to get what we want. After all Atemu, that's all these humans are good for."

Atemu snarled as he watched Dartz disappear, huffing to himself before sitting on the ground. He tensed, turning his head as he heard someone coming through the woods. Atemu relaxed a bit as he saw that it was Marik, tipping his head to the side as he wondered what the dog was up to, pausing at the calculating look that was directed at him. "Yes?"

Marik just shrugged, giving him a shake. "Atemu believe him?"

"Not really." He shrugged, looking back at where Dartz and the others had disappeared to before standing up and shaking himself. "Are the dogs free?"

"Marik was good. Marik found them before they could catch any more dogs."

"Marik…"

The dog huffed before shaking his head. "We scared them off before they could do anything. Bakura and I will watch, since all of you are too busy with your humans." Marik paused for a moment, Atemu barely processing the smirk that Marik had on his face. "By the way, how is it going with that little dog of yours?"

"He's not mine." Atemu turned to walk away, stopping when he heard Marik chuckle. His departure should have ended the conversation, but Marik apparently wanted it to continue. He sighed and looked over his shoulder at the other dog, watching Marik warily as the light gold dog capered over.

"He could be." The very thought made Atemu go still, his eyes wide as he stared at Marik. He watched the other dog nod solemnly. "You don't know that he doesn't want you."

"It's not natural." He had meant to say the words with a stronger conviction, but he couldn't get Yugi's voice out of his head; that sweet voice convincing him that it was alright to have both canine and human thoughts. It was such a good idea, so simple just to let go and let himself become both. He glanced over at Marik who gave him a slow nod. Atemu shook his head in response, taking a step away from the other dog. "I can't."

"What's stopping you? Yakou?"

"Yes."

"He doesn't have to know." Atemu froze at that. The temptation was too great with that. It would be so easy to just continue his courtship of Yugi and get out of this stage that was just pure lust. He wanted to get to know Yugi better, the few hours that they had spent together not enough. Already he was amazingly addicted to the presence of the little dog, part of him hated it and part of him loved it.

Atemu licked his lips, thinking over his decision one last time before turning to look at Marik. "W-what do I do?"

"What you want to do. Forget about the others."

"I-I'll have to keep it secret."

Marik paused before nodding. The dog smirked before bumping his shoulder into Atemu's. "Hey, I won't tell if you don't tell about me and that pretty dog of mine. Alright?"

Atemu gave a stiff nod before walking away, missing the calculating look on Marik's face, his mind working too quickly.

He would visit Yugi tomorrow and continue to get to know the little dog, but he would hold himself back from being too forward. He wanted this to last. While it was just lust on his part for now, he wanted it to be something else. He had enjoyed Yugi's company earlier and he wanted that to last for as long as possible. Atemu broke into a sprint, wanting to get himself home as fast as possible.

_

* * *

Please read and review. Constructive criticism is welcome._


	6. Chapter Five

**Warning:** More lemon flavored stuff here. Still not a full lemon.

**Chapter Five**

Yugi waited patiently at the door, looking over his shoulder as Solomon finished closing up the shop. He sighed, tensing at the odd jingle from his collar before relaxing. It was strange having another tag on his collar, the sound was different than he was used too. Yugi sat on the floor and shook his head, listening to the sound again before sighing. He would have to get used to it because it was going to be stuck with him for the rest of his life. Yugi sighed and stared at the floor of the shop, only perking up when he heard Solomon crossing the room.

Yugi looked up eagerly, standing up as Solomon walked over to the door. He tipped his head back so that Solomon could attach his leash to his collar, bouncing in place until Solomon opened the door. Yugi scurried out of the door, waiting for Solomon while the old man finished closing the door, his attention wandering to the sidewalk and street.

Atemu hadn't stopped by that day, something that had disappointed Yugi. He had been looking forward to seeing the other dog. It had been fun to have someone to talk to while Solomon worked in the shop. Still, Atemu had his own family, and Yugi couldn't expect him to always be around to talk or play with him. Yugi sighed, giving himself a shake before looking up at Solomon, giving his owner a smile before trotting off towards the park.

Solomon followed without saying anything, Yugi looking back and sighing when he realized that Solomon wasn't smiling. It was odd for the elderly man to not be in a good mood. Yugi slowed down his trot, falling into step by Solomon's side and looking up as his owner with worry. For a while, Solomon continued to stare off into the distance, ignoring the little dog. Yugi let the minutes pass without saying anything, waiting for Solomon to speak to him.

The elderly man blinked quickly before looking down at Yugi, giving a long sigh, shaking his head and continuing to walk.

"Solomon?"

"It's nothing Yugi." The little dog blinked, not used to being brushed off like that. He glanced up at Solomon again before looking at the ground. He felt the pressure on the leash change, barely glancing up at his owner as he heard the old man sigh. "It's alright Yugi, it's not about you."

"Then…"

"This whole thing." Solomon nodded to himself. "Mostly this whole thing. How could we have let this go on without us knowing? Surely there had to be some hint…Or how could the government even decide to pay for this."

Yugi shrugged, focusing back on the sidewalk. He didn't understand human politics. He had all the facts in his brain, courtesy of Gekkou Tenma, but he didn't understand them. He couldn't find himself as frustrated as Solomon was about this. To him, if the pack leader decreed it, then it would be done. Yugi blinked, watching his owner as they walked. Of course, he knew that human society didn't work that way, they all had this concept of equality…or something like that. He just didn't understand how that could work, but part of him wanted to give it a try.

He shook his head, glad to get the mess of political notions out of his mind. He didn't need to be thinking about that now. Instead, he should be thinking about the park. Yugi wagged his tail, increasing his pace a bit. There were better things to think about on a beautiful day like today, like the other dogs that he would see, the new smells, Atemu…

Yugi ducked his head at the thought, even though he knew that he couldn't blush in this form. It was strange, he looked forward to the chance that he might see Atemu more than the walk itself, even though there was a small chance that Atemu would even be out at this time. The other dog was probably trying out doing his job, too busy to spend some time with Yugi.

What was Yugi anyway? Just another dog that Atemu had saved.

The Pharaoh Hound probably always came around to check on the other dogs, it wasn't a sign that he was special. Yugi was just a runt of the litter, the one that no one had wanted. He still acted like a puppy out of choice rather than being unable to grow up. It was just who he was. Still, none of that explained why he was looking forward to seeing Atemu.

He leaned forward a bit, walking a bit faster as they neared the entrance to the park. There was an area where most people brought their dogs, hopefully Yugi could find Atemu there. He glanced toward the path that led to where he had been kidnapped before, shaking his head before continuing onward. Nothing would distract him from his personal quest, even if nothing turned out as he hoped for.

They rounded the bend, Yugi's bouncy strides slowing and then stopping as he looked around at the other dogs that were frolicking in the open, his tail slowly drooping. As he had suspected, Atemu wasn't there. Yugi shook his head, glancing back at Solomon before walking towards the other dogs. Neither of them were in the mood for much this evening anyway.

Yugi approached the group of dogs, watching as most of them rushed around in the open space, but his gaze was drawn to the few on the outside of the group, watching as they would glance up at their owners and then glance down at the ground. He tipped his head to the side, slowly coming to the realization that these were dogs like him, they even smelled slightly different. Something told him to stay away from them, but he wasn't going to listen to that instinct, it was the reason that they were sitting on the sidelines. He had as much a right to play with the other dogs as any of them.

He waited patiently for Solomon to take off his leash, obediently following the elderly man over to a bench and standing up on his hind legs to allow Solomon to remove the leash. He gave his owner a happy smile before bounding off, ignoring the fact that some of the dogs on the sidelines were giving him odd looks. They could all wait and mope, but he was going to enjoy himself.

Yugi found a nice spot and rolled in the grass, scratching an itch on his back that had been bothering him on the way over. He hummed happily to himself, closing his eyes as he took in the scents of the grass and the trees, enjoying the feeling of the sun on his fur. Yugi blinked as the warm touch of the sun disappeared, staring at the shadow that stretched over him before rolling over to one side to see what was casting the shadow. He stared up at the dog, his tail wagging as he recognized the scent and the color.

Atemu laughed and lowered his head to look at Yugi. "Enjoying yourself, little one?"

Yugi scrambled up onto his feet, laughing as he flung himself at Atemu, knocking the Pharaoh Hound over. "Atemu! You're here!"

The two tumbled into the grass, Yugi laughing at Atemu's surprise. It was only a moment before Atemu began to laugh as well. They rested in a tangled pile before Yugi extracted himself with a laugh, watching as Atemu propped himself up. He panted happily, waiting for Atemu to move before sitting down with a soft whine. "Atemu?"

"Nothing." Atemu got up and stretched, shaking himself before standing up, gently knocking against Yugi. "Fancy seeing you here."

Yugi just laughed and flipped over to his back, batting playfully at Atemu's tags. The Pharaoh Hound stared at him, lowering his head to sniff at Yugi's head before grunting something unintelligible and taking a step back. "You don't smell like a cat."

Yugi stuck out his tongue at Atemu before rolling back onto his side. He felt Atemu watching him, smiling to himself before jumping up, bumping Atemu with his shoulder before rushing off, yelling over his shoulder, "Come and get me, Atemu!"

He laughed, hearing a snort from Atemu before he turned his head, watching as the Pharaoh Hound rushed after him. Yugi tried to dodge, slowing in confusion as Atemu rushed past him, unable to turn in time as Atemu ran back at him. He was snatched up by the scruff of his neck, feeling Atemu tremble with the effort that the move took before the Pharaoh Hound began trotting off, ignoring all of Yugi's demands to be put back down.

* * *

Mana chuckled as she watched Atemu play with Yugi, pressing her hand over her mouth for a moment before quickly wrapping up the leash in her hand. She glanced around the park, easily spotting Solomon. Mana smiled to herself before walking over to the elderly man. Nearly everyone in the suburban neighborhood that boarded Domino knew Solomon, most of them had been customers when they were kids. The Kame Game Shop was well known for its service and the owner himself.

She waved at Solomon, noticing that it took him a while to answer, the thoughtful look on his face disappearing slowly. He motioned her over, Mana complying and taking a seat on the bench beside him. "Hello Mr. Mutou."

"Mr. Mutou?" Solomon gave her a serious look. "How old are you exactly, young lady? My father has been dead for years. Call me Solomon."

Mana giggled and nodded, leaning back to watch the dogs in the park. "It's good to see you here."

"Well, I like to get out of the shop. It keeps me in shape as well. Besides," Solomon gestured at Yugi, who was now pinned under Atemu, "I would have to deal with him moping around the house. I don't think anyone could stand Yugi when he's looking miserable."

"True. Yugi is such a cute little dog." Mana leaned forward, watching as Yugi finally broke free of the hold that Atemu had on him, scrambling onto Atemu's back and trying to nip at Atemu's ears. Atemu shook his head, Yugi tumbling from his back. The little dog scrambled to his feet, rushing around to try and bat Atemu's muzzle, Atemu just lifting his head up higher to avoid Yugi.

"So, you came here with Atemu?"

Mana shrugged at his question, laughing at the memory of Atemu. He had called her down and then had been sitting at the door with his leash already on, waiting for her. He had given her a hopeful look and jerked his head towards the door. "Walk?"

It had been strange because Atemu _never_ asked to be taken for walks. She had assumed that he got enough exercise from the night raids that he and the others carried out. Automatically, she had suspected something, but she had kept that to herself. Instead, she had just complied and taken him out.

As she had suspected, Atemu had immediately started for the park, Mana trying to remember what could possibly interest him in the park. That was until she remembered that Solomon and Yugi usually went on walks that led them to the park. She smirked to herself, just focusing on keeping up with Atemu as they nearly sprinted to the park, Mana holding back her laughter. She had never seen Atemu in such a hurry before, getting tugged along until they got to the entrance to the park.

Mana had been pulled to a sharp stop at the entrance to the park, Atemu pausing for a moment before shaking himself down, even going as far as fixing some stray fur on the top of his head. Mana had been even more amused by that, walking by Atemu's side as he started moving again. She had allowed him off the leash as soon as she had spotted Yugi, amazed at Atemu could achieve that kind of speed.

She shook her head, coming back to herself. "He insisted that we come here. I'm thinking for a very specific reason." They both shared a long look before breaking into laughter. "Atemu certainly was eager to come here."

They slipped into silence, watching the two dogs play. Mana sighed and stretched, wishing that she had the foresight to bring her homework with her. With the way those two were going, they were going to be here for a while. But Atemu deserved this, she could put off most of it for his sake. She shook her head, smiling to herself.

"So, how is your father?"

"Dad? He's alright." Mana shrugged, settling back comfortably. "Still working, still worrying about me. But we're fine. Better than some years. She hasn't called us at all for the past two years, which is good. Neither of us want to talk to her."

Mana forced her hands to unclench, telling herself that it didn't matter. Her mother had walked out of her life, which meant that she had no right to her anymore. No right to ask about her or to demand that Mana go to live with her on a whim. Because that's all that Mana was to her, something to be brought in on a whim and expelled just as easily. She sighed and forced herself to relax, after all, it didn't matter anymore. She had worked hard to overcome the insecurities that had come with that. Beside, they were happy with their life.

If her mother had come back, would they still have their Saturday television marathons? Would they still be able to decide that dinner was too complicated and skip right to desert? Would she still be able to spend the weekend lounging in pajamas because she had no where to go?

Even when Atemu had come into their lives, the Pharaoh Hound like a dog and a brother, nothing had changed. When Atemu wasn't rushing around, he would join them in their activities, often as a human. That had been the only time she had seen him so relaxed before now. Mana sighed and leaned forward to rest her chin in her hands, smirking as Atemu was caught off guard and sent tumbling to the ground by Yugi. She laughed, watching the two wrestle for a while before Yugi was pinned again.

"And you?"

The question took her by surprise, Mana turing to look at Solomon before shrugging. "I'm in high school…"

"Ah yes, I remember that." Solomon laughed, shaking his head. "Days of problems that seem like they will never end and parents that will never understand. Ah, the silly days."

Mana laughed before shaking her head. "The only problems I have are with schoolwork, and those are easily solved. Dad won't let me goof off…much. I stay away from the teen angst, too much drama."

Solomon looked confused for a moment before he shrugged it off, looking back at the dogs. "I was thinking about hiring a student to help me out. These old bones are getting more cantankerous than usual and winter was bad enough last year..."

Mana smiled, understanding what Solomon was trying to say. Solomon Mutou was an independent old man, and very proud of that fact. She forced her smile back before sighing and leaning back against the bench, running a hand through her messy hair. "Dad was actually talking about me getting a job, but I doubt that he'll trust me to go into the city alone."

"Well, I just might have a solution." Solomon smiled at her, both of them understanding what the other was doing. The elderly man turned to look at her. "Come by the shop tomorrow afternoon. You could pick up Atemu then too."

The two shared a smile before turning to look back at the dogs. Yugi had once again been caught by Atemu and was being ferried off, the little dog struggling to get free. Mana laughed until she had almost slid off the bench, enjoying the look of pride that was on Atemu's face as he set Yugi in her lap. Yugi gave an irate huff before curling up in Mana's lap.

Atemu whimpered, poking Yugi with his nose and getting another huff. "Not playing anymore." Yugi looked up at Mana, the teenage girl melting at the wide purple eyes. She cuddled Yugi close, watching as Atemu tried to shift closer, Yugi moving out of his way. "Atemu is being mean."

"Is he now?" Atemu attempted to look innocent, Mana just shaking her head and scratching Yugi behind his ears. "He's a big meanie."

Yugi nodded miserably, both of them ignoring the grumbling that was coming from Atemu. Mana could hear Solomon trying to hide his chuckles, her attention distracted by Atemu as he rested her head on her lap. "Mana," her name came out as a whine, "I haven't done anything."

"Of course you haven't." Mana reached out with her free hand to pet Atemu's head before leaning forward and setting Yugi on the ground. A quick look at her watch showed that it was nearing dinner time, Mana sighed before clipping the leash back to Atemu's collar. "Come on, we'd better get home before Dad freaks out."

Atemu whimpered, looking down at Yugi before looking up at her. He moved to the end of the leash to paw Yugi closer to him, pulling Yugi into what looked like a hug before walking away. Mana paused, thinking over the strange show of affection but shaking it off. She would probably get it out of Atemu as they were walking home. She could wait that long.

The two of them walked out of the park, Atemu allowing an easy pace instead of trying to pull her arm off this time. Mana smirked to herself before sticking her free hand in the pocket of her jeans. If anything, Atemu looked more than satisfied now. He was probably in a better mood than when they had left for the walk, something that Mana didn't even think was possible. She shrugged it off, almost laughing when she heard Atemu humming to himself.

The questioning of her surrogate brother could wait until later. Mana had a feeling that she was going to need to corner him to get all the answers she wanted. She smirked at that, already formulating a plan and the questions. With his good mood, it would be easy to catch Atemu off guard. And that was all the opening she needed.

* * *

"Amane…"

"I know." The girl sighed, looking up over her book. Ryou saw her think about pleading with him, but she decided not to, she knew Ryou too well. Amane sighed and held up one finger, Ryou nodded at the signal. He would let her finish the paragraph before pushing her to go to sleep.

He settled on the bed, absently messing with the blanket at the foot of Amane's bed, where he usually slept. Despite the fact that the family had welcomed him in whether he was dog or human, Ryou preferred not to take up too much space. He was content to sleep on the floor or at the end of a bed instead of taking up a whole room to himself, especially if he was to be moved from the house.

Amane moved, placing the bookmark in her book, setting it carefully on her bedside table before she turned off the light. Ryou got off the bed, pulling up the covers and tucking her in. He leaned over to kiss her forehead, watching as Amane reached for the ragged stuffed dog that she had, cuddling it close before she murmured a sleepy, "Night Ryou."

Ryou just smiled, shifting into his dog form before leaping back on the bed, messing with the blanket that was his bed before curling up in the nest. He eyed the door, making sure that it was partially open. He would patrol the small townhouse a couple of times, just to be sure, before coming back to watch over Amane. Ryou was always worried that his nighttime movements would wake Amane, but the little girl always slept right through them.

He sighed with content, finding an extremely comfortable spot in his nest and settling down for the night. He opened one eye to look back up at Amane before shutting it and shifting into a more comfortable spot. Ryou made a mental note to tell the rest of the team about the vacation that his family was taking. There was no question of his going with them and he would go with them even if the rest of the team demanded that he stay. It was his right as the part of the family to go on vacation with them.

Ryou glanced up as Amane shifted, the little girl drifting closer to sleep. He gave a content sigh before looking at the door again. Sure it wouldn't shut on him, Ryou settled back down, drifting off to sleep.

* * *

He looked over at Mana as the girl flopped onto the sofa, shifting in his place on the chair. Atemu raised an eyebrow as she glanced at the television before shifting to rest her elbow on the sofa's arm, Mana leaning her chin on the palm of her hand. "So?"

Atemu waited for a moment for the rest of that question, tapping his fingers against his denim covered leg until he realized that the question was merely just that word. He tipped his head to the side, considering whether or not to take the bait before shaking his head. It wouldn't matter anyway. "So what?"

"What was with the walk this afternoon?" Atemu raised an eyebrow, watching a slow smirk play across Mana's face. It was then that he realized that Mana had effectively trapped him. Her position on the couch would mean that he would have to pass her to get out, something that Mana would not let him do. He stared at Mana, watching her smirk grow. "You _never_ want to go on walks. So why today? Why to the park?"

Atemu shifted nervously in place, turning to look back at the television, but not paying any attention to it. He was merely trying to buy time to think of an appropriate response to Mana. Horrifically, he couldn't come up with one that did not sound like it was an excuse. Atemu groaned, resting his head back against the chair and stiffening when he heard Mana laugh. He glanced back at her and shrugged. "What's the big deal?"

"You _never_ want to go on walks and you were in a pretty big hurry to get to the park." Mana chuckled to herself before leaning forward a bit more. "We could have gone anywhere in the city but you _happened_ to want to go to the park where we just so _happened_ to meet Yugi. And you were pretty happy coming home."

Atemu shrugged. "I needed the exercise."

"You were humming." Mana finally burst into laughter at that, nearly falling off the couch as she rocked forward. Atemu briefly glanced toward his escape route, Mana straightening up with that move. Atemu pouted and turned his head away. He was still stuck, stuck until Mana decided that this questioning was over. Still, that didn't mean that he could steer the conversation.

"Have you talked to your father about that job that Solomon offered you?"

"Yeah, he said it was fine. Now, why were you humming and why," the last word was drawn out, "were you so happy to see Yugi?"

"Why do you care?"

Mana rolled her eyes, moving a bit. "It's my job to care. You're my strange brother/dog thing, so that gives me the right to pester you like this. So spill."

"Mana, it's not important!"

"It is, because it makes you happy." Mana shook her head, muttering something to herself before speaking again. "I haven't seen you that happy ever. Is it that so bad?"

Atemu stared at her for a long time, his mouth open in surprise. He didn't understand why his happiness was such a big deal. He had been happy when he had been first brought here, he had been out of that place where Gekkou had tormented him, and that was enough for him. Hadn't they known that? He tipped his head to the side and stared at her for a while. "No but…" He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "It's complicated."

"Life often is, Atemu."

"It's…it's not something that I can talk about." Atemu reluctantly spoke, knowing that Mana would want the answer to that. But it wasn't something that he would trust to anyone. Marik had figured it out by himself and Marik would keep his mouth shut about it. Atemu was sure that Marik was planning something and his instincts told him that Marik would keep that quiet for now as well.

He sat back, giving Mana a sideways look. She seemed to understand, sighing and stretching before she got off the sofa. "Fine. But I'm here if you need me. And, if you need me to, I'll stay silent. Don't try to do this on your own."

"I'm-"

"You have a habit of doing that Atemu." She reached over to ruffle his hair before turning and walking upstairs, probably to finish the homework that he had dragged her away from. Atemu sighed, absently fixing his hair before turning to look at the television. He stared at the lights for a moment before reaching for the remote and turning the television off, slumping in his chair.

Suddenly, it felt like the weight of the world was on him. He had to help those who Gekkou was still trying to pervert, like him. He had to keep his team of dogs together, because they obviously not meant to stay together. They worked well together only because of their common goal, and that was it. And then, there was whatever Marik was working on, but he would wait to see if Marik even got his plan off the ground.

And finally, and the most important thing to him, there was Yugi. It was the one thing that he was not going to let go of, no matter what. As long as it was kept secret, everything would be fine. He could continue to court the little Shiba Inu in secret, he could continue to chase this little bit of happiness that he desired above all else.

It was corny and stupid, but Atemu felt that it was love at first sight, something that he hadn't believed in before. Still, he was always thinking about the little dog and he couldn't stop the smile that came over his face when he thought of Yugi. And he was happy, really happy, just being close to Yugi. He didn't really know what love was, the human definition too confusing for him and dogs having no definition of love, just lust. He just hoped that he wasn't wrong about this.

He hoped with all his heart that this just wasn't lust. He didn't want it to be lust. He wanted it to be something more, so much more and just as wonderful as all the cheesy movies that Mana insisted on watching sometimes. And then part of him hated himself for wanting such a human concept, but he was part human now. He had that right.

Atemu groaned and rubbed his temples, feeling a headache building. All of this was not worth the headache that was coming. He stood up shuffling towards his room and hissing at the pain in his head. All of this could wait until later, or never be thought of again. Yugi was right, he couldn't just think of things like a dog anymore, no matter how much trouble he would get in with Yakou. In fact, it was getting to the point where he didn't care at all.

Briefly he considered how dangerous that train of thought was, but decided to ignore it completely. It didn't matter in the end. He had a place here if things got bad and he would have Yugi. There would always be others who would fight to get those dogs out of Gekkou's hold and just because he had ceased his association with Yakou didn't mean that Atemu would give up on them. He considered this point for a while before shaking his head; he was too tired to think this over any longer.

He peeled off the loose clothes that he had put on once he had come home, glancing at the skin tight clothes that he usually wore before deciding to put them on in the morning. It was almost guaranteed that he would have another dream about Yugi, especially since they had wrestled for most of the evening in the park. Atemu shuddered at the memory, crawling into bed and hoping that he could fall asleep soon. Unfortunately, his body wouldn't let him.

Atemu groaned, throwing an arm over his eyes. He would resist the urges stirred up by the memories of the evening. He was stronger than that. But still the memories tormented him, reliving every rub against Yugi's fur and the way the smaller dog had pressed against him. Atemu whimpered, squirming on the bed as his own mind continued to torment him, making him relive every fleeting touch, every rub. He gritted his teeth, trying to ignore the memories, but soon gave in, his hand sliding down his body towards the growing tent in his boxers.

He cursed himself and his impatience as his finger briefly played with a nipple before he forced himself to continue downward. He wanted to be able to court Yugi properly, not just throw him against the nearest surface and screw him senseless. But his body had other plans. Atemu snarled to himself, biting his lip to keep from groaning as his fingers moved over his stomach, pausing at the waistline of his boxers before pulling them off. He would have to do another load of laundry again, but the thought was barely registered in his mind.

He whispered Yugi's name as he grasped his erection, gently stroking it as he imagined Yugi's purple eyes staring back at him, darkened with lust…Yugi throwing his head back and moaning as he lowered himself onto Atemu's member. Atemu bit back another moan, his hand squeezing himself briefly as he imagined Yugi's walls surrounding him. He whimpered and thrust up into his hand, one finger brushing across the head of his penis, finding the pre cum that had leaked from the tip.

Atemu shuddered, bucking wildly into his hand before forcing himself to slow down. He gave a soft groan, closing his eyes as he imagined Yugi straddling him, Yugi's eyes shut in ecstasy as he rose and fell over Atemu's erection. Yugi was moaning his name, choking on the last syllable of his name, the sound turned into a scream. Atemu smirked to himself, speeding up his strokes as he lost himself in the fantasy of a writhing Yugi.

Yugi leaned over, panting in his ear, Atemu mourning the fact that he couldn't actually feel the hot breaths on his neck. He whimpered and bit down on his lower lip, pumping his member faster and he imagined Yugi speaking between his screams. "So good…so close…Atemu…"

"Yugi…" Atemu let his crush's name slip past his lips, grunting before he came, his release coating his hand.

Atemu panted as he recovered, vaguely thinking how uncomfortable he would be in the morning, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He couldn't bring himself to care about that at the moment, moving his hand from his now limp penis. Atemu sighed to himself, wishing that he had a warm body to hold at the moment before he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Seto jerked out of his sleep, tensing as he looked frantically around him. The hair on his back rose, the husky biting back a snarl as he looked around at the deserted hallway. He blinked before standing up, tipping his head to the side before beginning to pad down the hallway. Something wasn't right.

He broke into a trot, not caring that the tags on his collar were jingling. Aknadin was too wrapped up in his work still and all the staff were far too used to his nighttime wanderings to step out to see what was going on. He paused at the top of the stairwell, staring down at the light that came from downstairs before giving a huff and continuing onward.

The faint sound was repeated again, Seto speeding up into a run. He nearly missed the door, skidding to a stop before making an awkward lunge, using his shoulder to push the already half open door. Seto glanced up at the bed, seeing both Noa and Mokuba sitting on the bed. He shook his head before jumping up onto the bed and trying to glare at the two of them. "I thought I-"

"I know we should be in bed. " Mokuba gave him a sad smile, gripping a handful of Noa's blanket. "But Noa had a nightmare and…well…"

"I was down the hall." Seto didn't apologize for his failing, knowing that they understood. Instead, he curled up on the bed, the two of them looking guilty before Noa finally settled back into bed. Seto glanced over at Mokuba, seeing that the black haired boy had no intention of moving. He sighed, rolling his eyes before settling down for the night, knowing that neither of them would sleep well unless he was there. Seto grumbled to himself for a moment before looking up at the two of them. "What was the nightmare about?"

"My dad." Noa absently fiddled with a loose thread on his blanket. "About the day he…"

"Yes?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

Seto growled to himself, getting up and stalking to where Noa was, glaring down at him. "Apparently that is the reason you keep having these nightmares. So talk, maybe they will stop then."

Noa seemed taken aback for a moment before he gave a slow nod, his gaze returning to the ceiling. "I was there the dad he was murdered."

Seto was taken aback by the admission, sitting on the bed and staring at the boy. No one had ever told him that, no one had even spoken about that day. They had just assumed that Noa was alright. But no one else saw the nightmares and the slips in behavior as Noa tried to hold himself together, and for the most part, it was enough to get him by. Seto growled to himself, looking away from the two to glare at the floor. But that wouldn't be enough in the long run.

"You should tell someone about this."

"No!" Seto started as Noa lunged for him, pulling his face so that they were staring into each other's eyes. Seto blinked in surprise as Noa gave him a little shake before letting him go. "You _can't_ tell anyone! You can't!"

"Why?"

"I'm not supposed to be weak! I'm not supposed to let this bother me! Dad would want me to be stronger than this!" Seto couldn't stop staring at Noa, his mouth open in shock. Slowly, Noa released his face before flopping back to lie down, curling up under the blankets. The boy hesitated for a moment before flipping on his other side, facing away from Seto and Mokuba. Mokuba glanced at Seto before shifting closer to Noa and resting a hand on his adopted brother's shoulder.

"Noa-"

"No, you heard me! I'm not supposed to be like this! I'm Noa Kaiba! I'm the next in line to take over Kaiba Corp. I can't be weak or they'll eat me alive." Noa was visibly shaking now. "It's my duty to carry on the family name through business. As soon as I am ready, I have to take over."

"You don't."

"I promised by Dad!" Noa looked up at Seto. "I promised him as he was dying that I would look after Kaiba Corp. Uncle Aknadin can only look after it for so long, but I have to be the one who takes over. Do you understand?"

"This is…" Seto ducked his head, staring at the blankets instead of looking at Noa. It wasn't his place to meddle in human affairs. He was a dog, worried about things that only pertained to his world. Besides, he would get returned to normal, even if he had to study Gekkou's papers himself. He would find a way to rid himself of his curse. "It's not mine to understand."

He looked as Noa sighed and flopped back over to his side, Mokuba taking the moment to leave the room after petting Seto. The husky glanced between the boys before hopping off the bed and walking back to the darkness of the hall. Still, he wouldn't let Noa suffer like this. Noa was part of his family and nothing would hurt anyone in his family. Seto narrowed his eyes, pausing at the top of the stairs before venturing down them.

_

* * *

Please read and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome._


	7. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**

Bakura snuck through the corridors of the building, forcing himself to keep going despite the whines and screams that were coming from one of the rooms down the hall. The white dog paused, staring at the door that would lead to where the dogs were being held.

If anything, the marking of the dogs that had been changed had just increased the amount of dogs that had been kidnapped, some of them repeats. Bakura couldn't imagine what Gekkou was doing to them. He had already changed them, what more could he do?

He shook his head, freezing as he heard people moving down the hall. Bakura glanced around before deciding that he had time, shifting into his human form before trying the door that he was crouching beside. He gave a quiet exclamation of victory as the door opened, Bakura slipping in and slowly closing the door, pulling it almost shut and remaining in place as he heard humans walking down the hall. He stayed in place for a moment before slowly shutting the door the rest of the way, turning to look at the room that he had stepped in.

Bakura blinked as he found that he was in an office, a smile crossing his face before he padded across the room towards the desk. From what he could sense, the office was completely empty, so he had time to search through things. He sighed before leaning over the desk, staring at the papers that were scattered on it before glancing back at the door. He would be able to hear anyone who was coming down that hall and there were many places to hide, especially if he shifted.

Reassured that he was safe for now, Bakura turned back to the papers, leaning over the desk to skim over the papers. He blinked as he realized that half of them were notes outlining several different research projects, none of which seemed to be going on at the moment. Bakura made a mental note about them, Yakou would want to know and they would be better prepared in the future. Unfortunately, he wasn't looking for stuff like that, he was more interesting in what Gekkou was doing now.

With the utmost care, Bakura moved the papers around on the desk, frowning as he continued to see just notes. He shook his head, carefully sliding the papers back into place before staring at the desk, dropping into a crouch to open the drawers. Bakura forced himself to go slow, checking over every paper that was in the drawers, even if he was skimming them. It was turning out to be the same thing as it was before, when he had been searching with Marik. There was nothing about how Gekkou was changing the dogs, just the notes on his projects.

If he missed one thing, one hint of what Gekkou was doing, that would mean that more dogs would be subjected to this torment. And it would mean that he would have to put up with Marik, Seto and Atemu that much longer. They were quickly reaching a breaking point within their group and Bakura didn't want to be around when that happened. He hated that he was a smaller dog than the rest of them, but he wouldn't survive an extended physical fight.

And he personally wanted to get out before he proved Marik right. It was one thing to tolerate the other dog's presence and the insanity that came with it, although Marik couldn't help himself. Still, it was annoying. And he didn't want Marik to know how close to the truth that he was getting.

Bakura had watched Marik with that other dog, staying out of their line of sight, but he needn't have bothered. Whenever Marik was around that other dog, he wasn't paying attention to anything else. And that disturbed Bakura slightly because that's how he was on the rare occasions that he could talk to Ryou. If he was as messed up as Marik said, then there was something wrong with everyone in their group. Or, worse to contemplate, with every one of the dogs that had been changed.

He stopped his shuffling through the papers staring at the desk through narrowed eyes. If all the dogs had a possible fatal flaw, then Yakou should be notified. It could be dangerous if they all suddenly went insane. Bakura gave a low growl before mentally reminding himself to tell Joey that. He would let the golden retriever receive all the glory, he had no interest in pandering to Yakou. His own interests rested in being able to continue to roam the streets without interference of Animal Control, and Yakou helped him do that.

The drawer was slid shut, Bakura tackling the next drawer and working through it a bit faster. The frown on his face grew as he realized that something was missing, his stomach clenching nervously as he realized he was running out of drawers. There were still no notes or research about the initial change process, just experiments done on some of the changed dogs and future ideas, none of them seeming to match up with anything that Gekkou had done before.

Bakura tipped his head to the side as he slid the drawers shut, confused. There was no other furniture in the room that could hold papers, which meant that there was no use in staying here. Perhaps the papers were in another one of Gekkou's labs, which posed a problem. They had no way of contacting the other teams without going through Yakou. They were too spread out and their communicators that allowed them to talk to each other within in the city had failed, more flaw that Bakura found in Yakou's plan.

He padded back to the door, taking one last glance at the room. Something was very wrong here.

The best plan of action, no matter how much he hated it, would be to find Atemu and explain this to him. Then, that would leave Bakura free to do as he wished and Atemu would have to deal with it. After all, the Pharaoh Hound was their leader, it was his job to deal with these kind of things. Bakura nodded to himself before listening carefully at the door, inching it open until he could slip out into the corridor. He hovered in the shadows before shutting the door.

Once he was sure that there was no one around, he shifted, pressing himself close to the floor before turning and jogging out the way he had come. It hurt that he wouldn't be able to get the other dogs out of here, but something told him that this was a more pressing matter in the end. If they could find those plans, then there would be a way to change them back to normal. And that, in the end, was better than just freeing the dogs and hoping that they would make it out and back home.

* * *

Atemu grunted as something knocked into him, opening one eye before rolling over onto his back, trying to ignore the set of violet eyes that peeked over at him. He opened one eye a bit to watch as Yugi crept towards him, debating on whether to move or not. He decided to move too late, Yugi pouncing onto him. He glanced up at the little dog, watching Yugi wiggle with happiness before settling down on Atemu. The Pharaoh Hound looked down at Yugi before gently rolling to his side, Yugi automatically curling up by him.

He watched Yugi yawn before curling around the Shiba Inu. "Sleepy."

"Yeah, it's the sun." Atemu glanced around the yard that they were in, looking at the closed door before resting his head back on his paws. It was another nice day, spring slowly turning into summer. Atemu hummed to himself before closing his eyes, listening to Yugi give a little whimper before snuggling closer to him. He opened one eye to look at Yugi as the little dog finished finding a comfortable place close to him, a smile crossing his muzzle.

He had never thought that the weeks could pass this fast, but it had been three weeks since he had met Yugi and he had never been happier. He spent most of his day with the little dog, hanging around in the small yard behind the game shop or inside the house, playing with Yugi and napping when the both of them were tired. The evenings, he convinced Mana to go for a walk with him, the teenage girl working the afternoon shift to help Solomon with the after school rush. He was still rushing around during the night, trying to keep up with what Gekkou was doing, but that was no longer the part of the day he looked forward to.

Atemu gave another yawn before letting himself slide towards sleep. They were safe here, there were enough people about and in their homes that Raphael and the others wouldn't think to steal them away. Besides, Atemu would wake up before anything happened. No one would ever get their hands on Yugi while he was around.

He was just about to fall asleep when a familiar scent washed over him. Atemu groaned, immediately recognizing the dog, but not wanting to move. Bakura could wait until the evening when he would return to the twisted life he led. Right now, he just wanted to enjoy Yugi's presence. Unfortunately, Bakura had other plans.

"Atemu. Atemu, damn it, wake up!"

"Why should I?" Atemu didn't bother to open his eyes, mumbling the words as he tried to find sleep again. He had been out late, rounding up the dogs that had nearly been captured again, running to keep Raphael and the others distracted while the rest of the team had herded the dogs to safety. He had barely gotten to home before he had fallen asleep. Right now, he didn't want to deal with anything else.

"It's important."

"Is someone dying?"

"What? No, but-"

"If no one is dying then it can wait." Atemu thought that it would be enough to end the conversation, but he was wrong. He yelped as Bakura tackled him, finally opening his eyes to glare at the small white dog. "What?"

"I told you it was important, and you are going to listen to me." Bakura snarled at him, the sound waking Yugi up.

Yugi blinked up at Bakura before slowly standing up. "Do they need you already, Atemu?"

The wistfulness in Yugi's voice that made Atemu's heart beat faster. Was this a sign that Yugi cared for him in a way that was more than just friendship? Did the little dog actually want him like that? Atemu shoved those thoughts away for later, leaning slightly closer to Yugi as he glared at Bakura. "Fine, you have my attention."

"About time." Bakura muttered to himself before sitting on the ground. "I went to Gekkou's lab today and I got into his office. I searched through all his papers."

"What did you find?" Bakura had his interest now. If there was a chance that they could end this now…and then they could claim a reward from Yakou, hopefully…

"I skimmed through everything there, every single drawer and I found nothing about the process that he used to turn us. Just notes from prior experiments on dogs like us and research for further experiments." Bakura sighed, scratching at his neck as he considered his next words. "I also found that most of the dogs he's catching now are repeats."

"Repeats?"

"They've already been changed and he's doing something more to them." Atemu stared at Bakura, hearing Yugi yelp in alarm. He went to go look at the little dog when Bakura gave a short bark, keeping his attention on the white dog. "Listen. He doesn't have any of the papers on how he changed us."

"They're probably in another lab."

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Bakura nodded slowly, a sense of dread coming over Atemu. "But then I thought it out. If I was Gekkou, why wouldn't I have those papers here? He's here along with his other experiments, not somewhere else. If something goes wrong or he wants to improve the bloody thing, why would he not have the papers around to do it with?"

"Computer?"

"There was no computer in that room, Atemu, just a desk and papers that had been recently used. Gekkou's scent was all over them." Bakura huffed, giving himself a shake. "There was nothing about how he changes us to this."

Atemu stared at the white dog, forcing himself to keep thinking instead of just circling around the same thought. Bakura was right about the papers, it made no sense, even to his canine mind it made no sense. So there had to be some reason for it. He frowned, staring at the ground. There was a chance that it would be in another room of the lab, somewhere other than the office is Gekkou was working on it or had left it somewhere. Before they considered Bakura's reasoning further, they would have to check that the white dog was completely right. And then, it wouldn't hurt to get those papers about Gekkou's current experiments. They could at least prevent something there.

"Alright, Bakura, here's the plan. Tonight, you and I are going back in there to perform a wider search, just in case. No matter what, we are getting those papers to give to Yakou, at least we'll have that." Bakura gave a slow nod, the white dog obviously reluctant to work with Atemu. Atemu himself wasn't pleased with the choice in partners that he had, but Bakura was the best when it came to breaking and entering. It was a sacrifice that he was willing to make. "Now, inform the others that I want them to go about our usual business, pretending that everything is normal. That will act as a distraction to Raphael and his team and will give us enough time to do a through search."

Bakura gave one last nod before rushing off, Atemu sitting up and watching the white dog run off. He blinked as Yugi moved by his side, looking down at the small dog as he sidled up to Atemu. "What happens now?"

"Now…" Atemu sighed. He didn't know what happened now, he was just making it up as he went. If they got rid of that lab, then everything would be fine. If they couldn't do that, then remaining one step ahead of Gekkou would have to do. It was better than running around trying to guess at what he would do. He shook his head before letting it drop, blinking as he watched Yugi move around to sit in front of him, still waiting for an answer. "Now we wait and see."

His answer didn't seem to be what Yugi wanted to hear, the Shiba Inu staring at him for a while before flopping back onto the ground, staring off into the distance. Atemu hesitated for a moment before laying down himself, carefully poking Yugi with his muzzle. "Yugi?"

"What if something happens, Atemu?"

He felt his heart skip a bit with that question before he calmed himself down, he was just reading too far into Yugi's question. Atemu chuckled, curling around Yugi again. He watched as the Shiba Inu immediately snuggled close again, nuzzling Yugi. He froze when he realized what he was doing but, since Yugi didn't seem to mind, he kept them in close contact, relishing the moment. "Nothing will. We can take care of ourselves."

"I guess…" The words were mumbled as Yugi fell asleep, lulled by the warmth of the sun. Atemu smiled to himself before curling as close to Yugi as he could. It was horrible to not want to finish up their job here, knowing that they could be moved to the next city that needed to be helped, but he wanted to stay with Yugi. He didn't want another team of dogs to be looking after Yugi while he was gone. He didn't want to leave in the first place, Yugi was _his_.

Atemu shook his head. It wasn't good for him to be thinking so possessively about the little dog, he had no right to claim Yugi, they were just friends in the end. And, if all else failed, that would be enough for him. He would rather Yugi only love him as a friend than to hate him for the rest of his life. Still, there was always that temptation to make it more than friendship, something that Atemu wanted time to think about before making any move.

"Can I go with you?"

"What?" Atemu blinked, looking at Yugi and realizing just how close they were. But Yugi wasn't moving away, so Atemu felt that he was safe remaining where he was. Yugi shifted slightly so he was about to look into Atemu's eyes, the Pharaoh Hound feeling his breath catch for a moment.

"Can I go with you and Bakura? Not inside, but I could hide on the outside and keep watch, look out for things that you should know about."

"Yugi, you-"

"Please, Atemu?"

He found himself staring at Yugi's wide purple eyes, unable to refuse. Briefly he cursed himself and his infatuation with the little dog before smiling. "Alright. But, at the first sign of trouble, you will leave."

Yugi glared back at him for a moment before finally nodding, settling back down to nap. Atemu stared at him for a while more before closing his eyes, nuzzling Yugi's side. There was a happy sigh from Yugi, something that must have been his imagination, before Atemu too succumbed to sleep.

* * *

"And...uh…" Marik blinked as Malik suddenly stopped his story, turning to look over his shoulder at the door to the house. He hadn't realized that Ishizu had been home the entire day, thinking that Malik was just on his own again, but the dog had never mentioned it. Marik stared at his companion, watching as Malik shrugged the stare off before giving and apologetic smile. "I guess this is me being called in."

"I guess." Marik stood up and stretched, hopping down from the front porch before strolling towards the sidewalk. He stopped as he heard a low conversation between Malik and Ishizu, glancing over his shoulder before shaking his head and bounding off, already knowing what it would be. After hanging around for three weeks Malik would probably be convinced to invite him in. Marik knew better than to stay and wait for that invitation, or it would never come. Instead, he would continue to return, waiting for the moment that casual invitation would be extended.

Either way, he was safe now.

Marik smiled to himself, humming under his breath as he strolled back to the alley that he and Bakura called their home, pausing when he saw something unusual. Normally would this time, Bakura would be sneaking through the shadows of the main streets in the city, looking for people or places to steal from. He wasn't usually found walking out in broad daylight in the suburban area of Domino. Marik narrowed his eyes and cautiously approached the small white dog, waiting for Bakura to speak first.

"Orders from Atemu."

Marik tilted his head to the side, having to consciously remind himself to act like he was insane. "What does Atemu-pack leader want?"

"A distraction. You, Seto, Joey and Ryou are behaving normally."

"Atemu-pack leader has plan then." Marik laughed, watching Bakura fidget. "What then do Bakura and Atemu-pack leader do then?"

"We're searching the building." Marik blinked, a slow smile crossing his face as he realized what Bakura really meant. The white dog already smelled like the lab facility, just faintly, which meant that he had been there earlier. So Bakura had already searched the facility himself. If he was going back with Atemu, they were either retrieving something or looking for something, maybe both. It was a gamble either way, but Marik felt sure that Bakura would be on his side.

"What does Bakura and Atemu-pack leader look for?"

"Nothing of your concern."

"So…it's something not there?" Marik chuckled to himself as he watched Bakura slowly turn to face him, enjoying the look of surprise on the white dog's face. Marik shook his head before beginning to walk, his smile growing when Bakura rushed to keep up with him.

"W-what did you say?"

"It should be obvious, Bakura. The only reason that you would go back into the lab after visiting it once today would be to get something or look for something, maybe for something that wasn't there the first time." Bakura was staring at him in complete awe, Marik having to hold back his laughter so he could speak. "You honestly thought that I was insane? Atemu saw through it."

"Well, I-"

"It doesn't matter, you won't tell anyone."

"They wouldn't believe me." Bakura huffed and looked away, glaring at the sidewalk. "But why didn't you tell anyone?"

"Simple. What would have happened to me if I did?" Marik cocked his head to the side, watching Bakura. "I honestly don't care about Yakou and what he plans to do with all the glory that he gets from this. While I can handle the good deed of saving the other dogs, I'm just in this for myself; I'm planning ahead."

"What?"

"Think about it, what happens when we are done here? Do we even know what will happen? No, and we never talk about it. Yakou certainly won't. So, while I am thankful to him for getting me out of that hell hole in the first place, I like it here and I plan to remain here if I can."

"So that's why you've been hanging around with that dog."

"Partially." Bakura didn't need to know that he hoped that Malik liked him as well, but that was something that he could worry about later. "But that's what I think we need to do, so we have more humans to fight on our side when he comes to take us away."

"That's nonsense." Bakura seemed to laugh Marik's statements off, but there was something underneath the confidence. A hint of doubt perhaps? Personally, Marik didn't care at this point, deciding just to keep on talking.

"Alright then, believe that if you want. But that still leaves me wondering about certain things, like the fact that we aren't told what to do; we were just dropped off and left to our own devices. We have no way of contacting other teams around us now that the communicators are all faulty. And I think that they were meant to be that way. If he wants this to succeed, then why didn't he give us anything like that? We know that he has the means to, we've seen the base that he operates from. And another thing, Gekkou is his brother. For a while at least, he allowed Gekkou to torture us before deciding that he had to help."

"Are you saying that you don't trust him?" Bakura snarled out the words, Marik jumping a bit as he looked down at the small white dog.

He considered the question for a moment before shrugging. "No. I'm saying that I don't know what he's doing. He isn't telling us anything and what he has told us is only to stay true to our dog nature, which seems to be restricting us." Marik tipped his head to the side before sighing. "I don't know who to trust, which is why I don't trust anyone for now."

"That…" Bakura seemed to struggle for a while, staring off into the distance before finally slumping. "That makes sense, which is strange coming from you." He huffed, glaring at the sidewalk. "So what's the plan?"

"The plan? Get us into places where humans can speak for us. Yakou can already say that we're just messed up dogs so he doesn't have to listen to us. But humans he will have to listen to. Besides, they always give you good food."

Bakura shook his head, bristling a bit. "I can't believe that I am agreeing to this, but it makes sense. But I won't stand being cuddled. Who else is in on this?"

"Atemu." Marik nodded slowly. If Atemu had followed his advice and gone after Yugi, then he would be even more determined to stay. So there was another two people to speak for them, possibly three if Atemu had finally succumbed to his lust for Yugi. "Joey maybe. Hopefully he can figure out that his human actually needs him around and use what brains he has left to reason that he should stay here."

Bakura shrugged and tipped his head back with a sigh. "So Atemu..."

"Yeah." They walked in silence for a while, Bakura hesitating on one street corner. Marik perked up at that point, glancing in both directions before sighing. "I'll deliver Atemu's orders to Seto. It'll be fun to annoy him. You go talk to Ryou…assuming that who you want to live with."

If Bakura had been in his human form, Marik was sure that he would have blushed at that. He chuckled to himself before nodding. "I'll see you later tonight then."

Bakura didn't respond, already running back towards the turn that would take him to their alley by Bakura's house. Marik just smiled to himself before laughing, breaking into a run as he headed for where Seto lived. It would be fun to torment the husky, something that he hadn't gotten to do for a while. Still, he had to remind himself not to go too far, although it would be interesting to see how Malik would react to him being injured. He couldn't help the smile that crossed his face, Marik shaking his head before pushing himself to further speed.

* * *

Ryou settled into a more comfortable position, glancing up as he heard Landon laugh, shifting slightly to show that he was interested. Amane's father shook his head and returned back to his papers, reaching down with one hand to absently pet Ryou's head. "Nothing, just another bad essay."

Ryou huffed before settling back down, enjoying the bit of shade that they were both occupying on the small front lawn. Landon had brought out a chair and was grading the papers from the class that he taught at the local community college and Ryou had followed him out, both of them enjoying the sun and waiting for Victoria and Amane.

Once the two got home, they would head to the beach for their week long vacation. It was a human tradition that Ryou didn't quite understand, but part of him was excited about the chance to go. His own bag of clothes was sitting with the others in the hall, meaning that he would have the chance to change into a human once they got there if he wanted to. He smiled to himself and rolled onto his back, his tail giving a slow wag before stopping.

This was life as he had always imagined it, having a loving family instead of one that forgot about him. And, he felt content for the first time in his life, not even the nightly raids on the lab could bring him down. Thankfully, he was getting away from that for a week. Ryou frowned, remembering that he hadn't told the rest of his team about it, but he was sure that Bakura would notice. Bakura would probably watch them leave and tell the rest. Although he felt a little guilty about just leaving his team, Ryou felt that he needed this.

He no longer felt like he was part of the group, although he had never felt like he had belonged in the first place. He didn't feel the drive like the others and he was practically useless compared to them. He was much more adjusted to living with his chosen family and that's where he was the happiest. Ryou felt like this was the best decision for him, but he didn't know how to phrase it to Yakou that he was basically backing out of the deal. And then there was the fear that he would be taken away from his family.

Ryou was sure that he would be able to fight for the right to stay with his family, it would be the one time that he was able to fight for anything. But at least he would be useful here.

"They're running a bit late." Ryou glanced up at Landon before chuckling and rolling back onto his stomach.

"It's rush hour. They're bound to be late." Landon shrugged in answer and returned to his papers, Ryou watching him before training his gaze on the street again. He watched the every car go past for a while before training his gaze on the end of the street, waiting for the blue sedan that would pull up. Then they would all pile in and leave for a week of relaxation, something that they all needed very badly. Ryou perked up as he saw the familiar car, standing up and wagging his tail. "It's them."

Landon looked up from his work, quickly jotting down his next thought before retreating into the house to pack up his papers while Ryou trotted to the side, leaning out a bit with a smile. He was looking forward to seeing Amane again, even though it had only been a few hours. The girl surprised him endlessly with her huge smile and happy attitude. Ryou wagged his tail, his tongue lolling out of his mouth as he smiled. They were almost here, almost home.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a silver car skid around a corner, barely having time to register that it was on the wrong side of the road before it barreled toward the blue sedan. Ryou had the time to widen his eyes before the two cars collided, the screech of metal on metal make Ryou whine and shaking his head, looking up in the next moment, his heart beating fast. Two cars were in the middle of the road, damaged and dented, the blue sedan flipped over.

"Amane!" He wasn't aware that he had shouted, his scream bringing Landon out of the house. The professor leaned out of the door and gave a strangled sound, taking a few steps out into the open before seeming to force himself to run back inside. Ryou watched him for a moment, listening to Landon speak to someone on the phone before he couldn't help himself anymore. No one was moving from either of the cars.

He spun and began racing down the sidewalk towards the blue sedan, so focused on getting to the two inside that he missed Landon rushing out of the house, the phone still pressed to his ear. Ryou yelped as he was suddenly grabbed and held still, struggling in Landon's grip and trying to get to the two people that he loved. "No! Let me go! Let me go! They could be dying, I have to get to them!"

"Help is on the way, Ryou, there's nothing more we can do!"

"She's scared and alone. She needs my help. Please, please let me go!"

"Ryou, you'll be crushed!"

"I don't care! I don't care!" He tried to wiggle out of Landon's hold, but the man kept him from moving, Ryou finally slumping. He could feel tears threatening to fall from his eyes, staring at the cars where no one was moving. He was sure that Amane was still alive, he would bet anything that Amane was still alive.

He just couldn't believe that Amane was dead.

Ryou glanced back as Landon hung up the phone and began to move up the sidewalk towards the carnage, Ryou still held tightly. The white Cocker Spaniel whimpered, scrambling to get to the car even as Landon hold on him tightened. He could hear sobs coming from the man, wondering how Landon kept himself this controlled when all he wanted to do was to rush over to Amane and Victoria and try to help them out.

He stared at the blue sedan, trying to find Victoria and Amane in the wreckage. Ryou barely heard the whimpers coming from his own throat as he saw nothing, trying to curl up on himself, but Landon wouldn't let him. They were just two people clinging to each other in the vain hope that everything would be alright.

At first, he didn't register the sound of someone shouting his name; Ryou just thinking that he was imagining things. He let himself hang in Landon's hold until he realized that someone _was_ calling for him. He blinked and roused himself, turning slightly to see Bakura racing towards him. He barely had time to register that the white dog's eyes were wide before Bakura stumbled to a stop, panting for breath. "What…What happened?"

"Crash…"

"Is help coming, Ryou?" He blinked at Bakura before going back to his staring, jumping as Bakura snapped at him, Landon nearly dropping him. "Focus, Ryou and answer the question."

"I-I…yes?"

"Alright." Bakura nodded before staring back at the wreckage, shaking himself before trotting off toward the mangled car. Ryou yelped and started to struggle again as Bakura reached the car, shouting for the white dog to come back, but Bakura just ignored him, peeking into the car and carefully finding a way inside. Ryou gave a long whine as Bakura disappeared from sight, trembling in Landon's arms.

* * *

Bakura grumbled himself as he slipped through one of the broken windows, wincing as broken glass dug into the pads of his paws. He snarled and paused to glance at the damage, deciding that he would survive before continuing to wiggle into the small space. He grunted as he got stuck in one spot before pulling himself through a particularly tight place before finding himself staring at a woman. He continued to look at her for a moment before he was distracted by the sounds of sobbing.

He turned awkwardly in the cramped space before crawling into the backseat, surprised to find another human there and that this human was conscious. He glanced back towards where he guessed Ryou would be before shifting closer to the girl, pressing his cold nose gently against her hand. "Hey."

"Ryou?" Bakura shook his head at the name, forcing himself to smile. He just had to remind himself that this was all for Ryou. He could deal with humans for Ryou's sake. It was worth it to stay near Ryou instead of being shipped off or whatever Yakou might have planned for all of them in the end.

"I'm not Ryou, but I'm a friend of his."

The girl sniffled. "I want Ryou."

"I know, but Ryou can't fit under here. Only I can." The girl stared at him before her fingers twitched, Bakura guessing that it was the extent of the movement that she could do. He swallowed nervously, glancing back out towards the street in the vain hope that the emergency vehicles would show up soon, but he was disappointed. He sighed before moving closer to the girl, feeling some of his muscles protesting the awkward position that he was forced to take. "It'll be alright.

"It hurts."

Bakura finally looked the girl in the eyes, staring at her for a moment before looking away. "I know."

"Mom…is she alright?"

"Yeah." Bakura glanced back at the woman in the front seat, not smelling anything off. "Just unconscious. Now, just be patient. You'll be fine."

The girl sniffed, biting her lip to keep from crying some more. Bakura had a moment of pride that he was able to calm her before he shoved the thought away. That wasn't important at this moment. It was more important to keep her calm to prevent Ryou from suffering. Bakura glanced toward the outside again, realizing what it would mean now that he had interfered in this.

Somewhere was his buried conscious, and it was telling him that he would need to be there for Ryou. The human male would be useless and Ryou would have to comfort him, but Ryou had no one to catch him when he started to fall apart. And, strange as it seemed, Bakura wanted to be the one able to do that. It made the most sense to him…if he didn't think too long about it. And he was good at not thinking too long about things. Thinking didn't leave one with enough time to react in situations. Bakura could spend all the time in the world thinking when he was done rushing around.

He started as he felt fingers brush over his fur, the girl reaching out for him. Bakura hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do in this situation. Finally, he gave a little shrug before scooting closer to her, feeling her fingers moving slightly as she tried to pet her from her stuck position. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

Bakura felt his throat stick at the simple words, unable to get anything past the blockage in his throat. He didn't know how to react in these situations, his usual bluster easily broken by the presence of this one human child. Bakura blinked before looking away, keeping the girl company. Maybe this was why Ryou could deal with these humans, this sense of belonging and wonder that a few of them seemed to give out.

And, although he would only admit it to himself and never to the rest of the world, the human child was kind of cute and sweet in her own way.

He had no idea how long he rested next to the human, just feeling her fingers brush through his fur in a comforting way, almost making him forget that he was the one who was supposed to be comforting her. But the comfortable silence that had settled between them was shattered by the sound of sirens, Bakura nearly jumping away from the human girl as he heard the sound. Despite his first instinct to run, he stayed by the girl's side, listening to the instructions that were coming from the people outside. It was only after he heard the people moving that he began to shuffle away from the girl.

She whimpered, trying to reach out for him but was unable to move far. Bakura paused in his backing out, glancing at the small hole that he had come through before shaking his head. He forced a smile onto his face, hoping that it didn't look too insane. Ryou would kill him for scarring this girl anymore than she already had by this experience. "Don't worry, they're going to get you out. I'm just moving out of their way."

The girl stared at him for a moment longer before sighing. "Thank you."

"You're…" Bakura cleared his throat. "You're welcome."

He glanced over his shoulder before backing out of the cramped space within the car, ignoring the strange looks that he got from the men that were working to free the two from the car. He gave them all a glare, hoping that they understood his silent message to take care of the two before going back to where Ryou stood.

Ryou looked worse than before, the white Cocker Spaniel just splayed out on the sidewalk like he head fallen there. Bakura glanced around, spotting the human male talking to the paramedics and nervously moving between the car and the ambulance. He hesitated for a moment before trotting over to Ryou and lying down on the sidewalk with him, surprised when Ryou immediately curled towards him.

Bakura tensed as he felt Ryou trembling against him, at a loss of what to do for a while. He shrugged to himself before pressing back against Ryou, licking his lips before attempting to speak, not liking how his voice wavered. "It'll be alright."

"We were going to get out of here." Bakura had to pay close attention what Ryou was whispering, leaning his head closer to Ryou. "We were all going on vacation, we needed the break."

Bakura found himself nodding, a little jealous of Ryou. Of course Ryou thought about getting out of Yakou's hold on them, he found himself wanting that too. That's part of the reason that he had agreed to Marik's plan so quickly. The pressure on him from their job and not knowing what was going on was almost too much but, unlike Ryou, he didn't have anywhere to go.

He perked up as he watched the two get loaded into the ambulance, pressing his ears back against his head as the sirens started up again, heading for the hospital. The human male watched the ambulance go before rushing back towards the house, probably to grab a few things before following after the ambulance. Bakura nodded to himself, standing up despite Ryou's whimper of fear. He shook his head and nudged the white Cocker Spaniel to his feet. "Come on, you're going with him. Get into the house, shift and pull some clothes on. You'll be able to see them soon enough."

Ryou followed his orders meekly, almost leaning on Bakura as they walked back to the house. Bakura could still hear the man rushing around upstairs. He tipped his head so he could track the human's progress while continue to encouraging Ryou to hurry up.

Ever so slowly, Ryou shifted into his human form, Bakura wincing in pain for the Cocker Spaniel, changing forms was easier when it was done quickly, the pain was only there for a split second. But, the way that Ryou was going at it, he was feeling every change in bone structure and muscle placement. Bakura almost yelled at him to stop it, but held his silence. Ryou probably didn't know what he was doing, still in shock from watching his world get torn apart.

Bakura nudged Ryou, watching as he moved towards one of the suitcases, pulling on jeans and a shirt automatically. Bakura nodded to himself, ready to walk back outside. He would have to tell the others what had happened. Gekkou could wait for a day. A hand on his back stopped him, Bakura looking back up at Ryou. "Bakura, stay. Please."

He was surprised by the request, looking out the door before finally nodding. Ryou needed him right now, and the other human wasn't in much better shape. At least Bakura could think straight at the moment, he could keep the other two from doing something stupid. He gave another nod, surprised when Ryou duck around for another set of clothes before throwing them in his direction, only then realizing that it was unlikely that he could have stayed with Ryou as a dog.

Bakura felt slightly uncomfortable as he changed into his human form, his change a little awkward, he didn't do this as often as Ryou did. Still, at least there was little pain with his change. Bakura snatched up the clothes and pulled them on, slipping his feet absently into shoes as the human male came running down the stairs. He and Bakura exchanged glances before Bakura reached down to help Ryou to his feet, allowing himself one moment of elation that Ryou was clinging to him before squashing it.

He helped Ryou out to the car, surprised that Ryou managed to keep a hold of him through it all, but Bakura kept his expression stoic, carefully watching the human male as he started the car and backed it out of the driveway. He didn't quite trust the human male with his life, especially after watching his mate and pup injured like that, but it was the only way to stay close to Ryou and he would deal with it.

A whimper drew his attention back to Ryou, Bakura staring at him before finally pulling Ryou into a hug, relaxing a bit as Ryou clung to him, still shaking. Bakura ran a hand up and down Ryou's back, at a loss of what to do. He couldn't do anything to help Ryou in his mental state but just be there, but he hated feeling so useless. Especially when it was Ryou that was hurt.

Maybe Marik was right when he said that Bakura cared for Ryou above the level of a teammate. Maybe there was something more to that. But Bakura was strangely content to be the one that Ryou clung to, something that he had never expected of himself. He looked down at Ryou before shaking his head and getting a better grip on the shaking human. There were more important things to worry about for now, like keeping Ryou sane. The rest could wait until a quiet moment.

_

* * *

Please read and review. Constructive criticism is welcome._


	8. Chapter Seven

**Warning: **Lemon

**

* * *

Chapter Seven**

Yugi watched as Atemu continued to pace, looking around the two of them warily. He narrowed his eyes before going back to staring ahead of him, straining all of his senses to catch anything. He didn't want to let Atemu down, especially since Atemu had agreed to bring him along. He smiled to himself at the thought. He had wanted to help Atemu since they had become friends. He had spent most of his life being practically useless and he wanted to prove, mostly to himself, that he could do something.

And then there was the fact that he was always disappointed when Atemu left, missing the warmth that the other dog gave off.

He tucking his nose under a paw as his thoughts ventured further, into territory that he usually avoided. Yugi glanced up at Atemu to be sure that the other wasn't looking at him before allowing his thoughts to wander. It was a lie to believe that he just missed Atemu for his warmth and having a playmate. He missed Atemu because he was Atemu and he couldn't make too much out of that thought himself. He just enjoyed Atemu's company too much.

He just felt good whenever he was around Atemu, especially when they were in contact with each other. If he had been human, he would have blushed with that thought. But it was true, just being around Atemu relaxed him, he felt safer around the Pharaoh Hound. Still, even with all of that, he didn't know what to make of the dreams that occurred at night. The dreams that had him waking up in a sweat and still hard from the things that he thought Atemu had been doing to him.

Yugi tried to hide his nose further under his paw at the memory of those dreams, unable to help the shiver that ran down his spine. Was it bad that he enjoyed them? Bad that he wanted that of Atemu? From all the movies about humans that he had watched and the humans that he observed, it took them a shorter amount of time to form the bonds that he and Atemu had formed. But he had held off on his instinct because he wanted to know if Atemu felt the same way about him.

And then there was the nagging fear that it was wrong; Atemu was a male after all. Yugi felt as though he should be going after females, that he should be interested in them rather than Atemu. But he wasn't, at least, not that he knew of. He never looked at the female dogs, but then, Atemu had always been around during the time he was thinking about this. While some part of him was afraid of even admitting this desire, more of him wanted to tell Atemu, just to get it out of his head.

But he feared the rejection more than anything else.

"Where is he?" Yugi looked up at the growled words, getting to his feet and looking at Atemu. The Pharaoh Hound stopped his pacing, glancing over at Yugi before giving a vicious shake of his head. "No."

Yugi blinked, confused as to why Atemu had said that. He looked over at the building before looking back at Atemu, the Pharaoh Hound still looking away from the building. Then, the truth sank in. Yugi sighed and walked over to Atemu, bumping lightly into the other. "You need those documents."

"Not that much."

"And you need that information." Atemu tensed at that, Yugi knowing that he had gotten the Pharaoh Hound there. Above all else, they needed to know how the dogs were changed so that they could figure out a way to change them back.

Atemu stared at him before slowly shaking his head, Yugi clearly seeing the struggle in Atemu's eyes. "It's not worth it."

"Atemu-"

"It's not worth the chance, Yugi."

"Then you'll just let this happen over and over again?" Atemu blinked before looking away, looking back helplessly a moment later. Yugi sighed, shaking his head. "Atemu, this is more important. Besides, the others are out there for us, right?"

"Yes." The word was dragged out as Atemu came to his decision. Yugi stood by his side, waiting until Atemu turned around, beginning to walk towards the building. Yugi dropped into a crouch behind him, moving through the bushes.

He followed Atemu as the Pharaoh Hound circled around the building, heading for a door close to the tree line and in the shadows. Yugi found it odd that there were no guards on this place, but he assumed that it was because the rest of Atemu's team was distracting them. He gave a curt nod to himself before following Atemu out into the open, the two of them rushing to the door.

Yugi hovered in the shadows as Atemu pushed himself up against the door, shifting forms to turn the knob and push the door open. Yugi hesitated for a moment before shifting too, letting Atemu lead the way into the building. He pressed himself against the wall as Atemu shut the door, glancing back at Yugi before gesturing for him to keep following and remain silent. Yugi nodded before slipping behind Atemu, their bare feet making little noise on the linoleum floor.

He suddenly felt uncomfortable in his tight clothes in the bright lights of the lab. It didn't help that his senses were still picking up the slightest things. He froze for a moment at the sound of dogs barking before forcing himself to keep moving. Atemu trusted him to keep up and he would not betray that trust. Yugi swallowed nervously, glancing back up at Atemu.

It was amazing that Atemu was able to keep his cool, although Yugi guessed that Atemu had been doing this longer than he had. He was probably used to the sounds and smells, the unnatural feeling of the lab. Yugi hadn't been here since the night he had been stolen and rescued, but Atemu visited this place nearly every night. Yugi shivered with the thought, the movement catching Atemu's attention. Yugi gave a sheepish smile before waving Atemu on. After a second of staring at him, Atemu finally did move on.

They cautiously walked through the hall until Atemu stopped at a certain door, the only one that they had come to so far. He tried the handle, looking surprised that the door was open before he slipped through, Yugi right on his heels.

Yugi blinked in surprise at the modest office that was in the room, glancing over at the desk before hovering near the door. Atemu glanced back at him before moving over to the desk, bending over to stare at the papers that littered the surface. Yugi blushed, quickly turning around to stare at the door, he didn't want to stare at temptation for the entire time they were here, he didn't trust his self-control that far. Instead, he would guard the door. He forced himself to focus on listening for anything outside, straining his senses.

A tap on his shoulder startled him, Yugi having the presence of mind to bite down on his hand to keep from yelping as he turned around, relaxing as he saw that it had just been Atemu. The other had his head tilted to the side in confusion before giving himself a shake.

"Bakura was right, it wasn't in here." Atemu whispered the words close to Yugi's ear, Yugi shivering. He braced himself on the door, biting his lip to keep a moan from escaping him. There was a time and place for those thoughts, and it wasn't here. He tensed as Atemu rested a hand on his shoulder, Atemu peeking out into the hallway before leaning back in, not seeming to see what the prolonged contact with Yugi was doing. "Come on, we have a few more rooms to search."

"W-what about the notes?" Yugi hoped that Atemu hadn't heard the waver in his voice.

"We'll get them later. We can't exactly carry them around with us right now."

"Oh. Right." Yugi nodded before stepping out into the hallway, surprised that Atemu's hand remained on his shoulder as they walked. Yugi decided not to bring it up, enjoying the contact. They walked down the hall, Atemu giving Yugi a gentle shove towards the door on the opposite side. Yugi glanced back at Atemu before nodding, the two of them slipping into the rooms.

Yugi blinked as he looked around, surprised by the cot in one corner and bed of blankets made up in on the floor. The scent of dogs in the room made him pause, glancing around until he was sure that he was the only one in the room. Yugi frowned to himself before beginning to move around the room. It soon became obvious that the papers that they were looking for weren't in here. It was just the place where Gekkou rested. But the dog bed made Yugi a bit wary. Why were other dogs kept here?

He shook his head before leaving the room, glancing down the hallway before sneaking across to where Atemu was looking. He slipped into the room, Atemu glancing up before continuing to move through the room. "There wasn't anything in there."

Atemu paused in his search again, staring at the wall before moving back towards Yugi. "There's nothing here either. And there's only three places left to search…Come on."

Yugi started as his hand was grabbed, finding himself towed down the hallway towards the sounds of the frightened dogs. Yugi swallowed nervously, tensing as he felt Atemu's thumb brush over the back of his hand. But the touch was fleeting, brief enough for Yugi to think he had imagined it. But the look that Atemu shot over his shoulder, the one that held worry, spoke volumes. He found himself unable to think on it further as he was dragged into the room just before the one that held all the dogs.

Atemu blocked Yugi's sight for a moment, but that still wasn't enough to block him from the smell of antiseptic. Yugi coughed and held up his arm to cover his nose, stepping out from behind Atemu to look around the room. In that moment, he wished that he had stayed hidden. In the light, the metal instruments glinted, just the sight of them sending Yugi towards the wall farthest away from them. Atemu glanced over at him before beginning to look around the center of the room. Relieved that Atemu had taken that job away from him, Yugi began skirting the outside of the room, searching for anything that would help him.

There was nothing of use, just the walls and some clothes that hung on the walls. But Yugi did check the pockets, slowing his walk as he heard sounds outside. He wasn't sure whether it was Gekkou himself or one of the other dogs that worked for him. Still, it was better to be cautious, especially since they were the only ones in the building. Yugi shook his head, forcing himself back into motion after the latest false alarm. The sooner they got this job done, the sooner that they could leave.

Atemu returned from his search, shaking his head. They stepped back out into the corridor, Yugi turning towards the sound of the frightened barking of the dogs. He jumped as Atemu rested a hand on his arm, giving the limb a gentle squeeze. "The others will get them out safe. Now, let's go back and get those papers."

Yugi nodded and began padding back up the hall, glancing to the side as Atemu moved past him, unable to stop himself from staring. He momentarily cursed the tight clothes that they had to wear, but then thanked whoever had discovered that they could change like this. If Atemu had been naked, Yugi's self control would have broken by now. He bit his lip to smother a whimper, his imagination already working overtime. He could just imagine stroking the tanned skin, feeling it rub against him, warm and…

A door slammed behind them, both Yugi and Atemu coming to a quick stop and spinning around. Yugi's eyes widened as he saw a man walk out of the room with the dogs, his grey eyes widening as he stared at the two of them. Yugi saw Atemu tense out of the corner of his eye, taking a step backwards as the human growled. He felt a hand on his shoulder the next moment, Atemu jerking him around and pushing him towards the exit. "Run!"

Yugi stumbled into a run, racing for the door at the end of the corridor, listening to Atemu running behind him. He turned to look over his shoulder, eyes widening as the man stepped back to the door, opening it to shout at the people inside. "Raphael, Dartz! Atemu is here, and he's got another one with him!"

He heard growls come through the room, the man stepping out of the way as a large dog pushed through the door, Yugi stumbling to a stop as he reached the door at the end of the corridor. He recognized the dog, he recognized the strange eyes that it had. It was one of the dogs what had stolen him the night he had been altered. Yugi shivered, nearly falling backwards as Atemu opened the door. He stumbled out into the open, Atemu glancing back at him before shifting into his dog form. Yugi glanced back before following his lead, surprised when Atemu took off at a run.

Yugi yelped as he rushed forward after the Pharaoh Hound, panting for breath as the other dog easily outdistanced him. He glanced back over his shoulder before letting out a curse and trying to speed up, but his shorter legs wouldn't allow it. He wasn't built for speed or sprinting. Yugi whimpered, hearing the sounds of two dogs racing after him, glancing up at the sound of another coming from in front of him.

His eyes widened as Atemu rushed back at him, the Pharaoh Hound snarling. Yugi skidded to an awkward stop, pressing himself close to the ground as Atemu leapt over him, crashing into the dog that was leading, wrestling him to the ground. Yugi cowered at the sounds of growling and snapping, looking up at the sight of another dog, this one yellow in color. He whimpered, glancing back at Atemu before charging forward. The dog didn't seem to expect that.

Yugi smiled at his own daring, snapping at one of the dog's legs before rushing into the clear, hearing a growl from behind him. He concentrated on the street in front of him, deciding that it wasn't fair that he had been born the runt of the litter. It was making his life harder.

There was a yelp from behind him, Yugi pinning his ears and speeding up, not wanting to slow himself down now. If he could just get to a safe place, or to his house, then they couldn't follow him. Or he hoped that they wouldn't get him there. But that might not be true, especially since they had first abducted him from his walk with Solomon. There wasn't anywhere safe for him.

Yugi tensed as he felt a dog rush close to him, teeth closing over the scruff of his neck before picking him up, Yugi glancing back, only relaxing and trying to curl up as he saw that Atemu had got him, the Pharaoh Hound struggling to keep Yugi from dropping and keep up his speed. Yugi whimpered, trying to keep as still as he could to help Atemu out, knowing that he was too heavy to be carried like this.

"A-atemu?" There was a hum from the Pharaoh Hound, Yugi taking that as his response. "You don't have to do this. W-we could get away faster if you…."

Atemu gave a short snort, the negative answer very apparent. Yugi sighed, staring ahead of him as he continued to be carried deeper into the city, highly aware of the other dogs running after him. He tensed as he saw another dog appear around the corner, yelping as he recognized the scent; it was the man who had spotted them in the labs. Atemu noticed at the same time, making an ungainly turn to rush down an ally, taking another quick turn to lose them before dashing out into the open sidewalks again.

Yugi glanced over his shoulder before giving an irritated wiggle, Atemu growling before finally setting him down, the Pharaoh Hound sitting on the ground and panting for breath. Yugi glared at him, turning to look at him. "You shouldn't have done that. You could have gotten hurt!"

"Better me than you."

Yugi stopped at that, blinking in confusion before moving closer. "What?"

"I-" Atemu turned away with a long sigh, shaking his head. "You weren't supposed to be in there, putting yourself in danger. You aren't like the rest of us, you didn't sign on for this, you volunteered because you didn't want to see me hurt. I didn't want you getting hurt because of me."

Yugi rolled his eyes. "Silly. I _can_ take care of myself, you know."

"Really?" Yugi chuckled at the look that Atemu shot his way, the Pharaoh Hound shaking himself before glancing around at where they were. He growled to himself before standing up, Yugi following him through the streets. He glanced around, his heart sinking as he realized he didn't know where they were. He had never been too far into the city, Solomon tending to stay around the suburbs. Yugi flattened his ears and crept into Atemu's shadow, the Pharaoh Hound looking at him in confusion. "Yugi?"

"I don't know this place. The sounds…the smells…it's very different." He glanced up at the sky, noticing that the sun was beginning to set. Yugi whimpered, worrying about Solomon. His owner would wonder what happened to him, since Yugi had offered him an excuse instead of the truth. Yugi glanced over his shoulder, some part of him hoping that the game shop would appear behind him. He shuddered. "I don't like it here."

"I know, Yugi, I know. It's a lot to get used to." Atemu nodded, seeming to take a deep breath of the clogged air and sighing. He shook his head before glancing back at Yugi. "It almost feels like home still."

"Home?"

"Grew up on the streets. I'm used to this." Yugi blinked, staring at him before looking at the people that were rushing around them, most of them giving the two dogs strange glances; glances that make Yugi press against Atemu's side. The Pharaoh Hound looked down at him with a smile. "Yugi, it's alright."

"C-can we go home?" Yugi hated himself for even saying that. He was supposed to be helping Atemu with his job, that's what he had come here for. That's what he had begged Atemu to allow him to tag along. And now he was begging to go home when he was out of his comfort zone. He was supposed to be strong, supposed to be able to take care of himself in situations like this. But, underneath all his bravado and attempts to make himself different, he was still the runt of the litter.

"In a bit, Yugi. I want to make sure that they aren't still following us." Yugi looked up at Atemu before nodding, forcing himself to shuffle along after the Pharaoh Hound. He yelped as Atemu stopped suddenly, nudging the smaller Shiba Inu forward so they could walk side-by-side. He laughed, Yugi shivering as Atemu kept in contact with him longer than he had to. "Stay close, I don't want to loose you."

They walked silently, Yugi following Atemu as they cut through allies, working their way towards the center of the city before moving back out towards the suburbs, using the smells of the city to hide their trail. Still, Yugi didn't think that it would put the others off for long, but he hoped it would distract them long enough so that they would decide that it wasn't worth chasing them.

Yugi stumbled to a stop as he caught Raphael's scent, glancing over at Atemu. The Pharaoh Hound had stopped as well, glancing back through the crowds before nudging Yugi towards an alley. "Change."

Yugi nodded, shifting into his human form and glancing at Atemu. The other nodded and peeking out of the alley, only to jump back as Raphael and the red-head from the labs leapt around the corner, Atemu barely missing being grabbed by the large blonde. Yugi yelped, Atemu spinning to grab his hand before pulling him forward. "Run!"

* * *

He was acutely aware of how Yugi struggled to keep up with him, keeping his hold on the shorter human's hand as they ran. He didn't want to lose Yugi now, he didn't know what they would do to them for actually sneaking in and attempting to steal things. Atemu swallowed, taking a gasping breath before pulling Yugi out into the open streets, dodging through the crowds of people. It still wouldn't be enough.

They couldn't run as far or as fast like this, and they were both instantly recognizable. Valon and Raphael had gotten too close for any other ploys to work, so they just had to run. And that wasn't working at all. Atemu glanced back over his shoulder, snarling before glancing ahead.

They were heading for the harbor, he could smell the fish, tar and salt from the sea. There would be a chance that they could hide there, lost among the stronger scents, but Atemu wasn't willing to risk their lives on that. Instead, he would have to hope that the two minions could be tricked. After all, neither of them were the brains of the group, that was Dartz alone and Dartz would never leave Gekkou alone to chase them through the city. Atemu hoped that the rest of his team were doing their job and keeping Dartz and Alastair distracted. He wouldn't have been able to fend off four dogs at once.

Still, they couldn't keep up this pace.

He wrinkled his nose as the scent of fish became stronger, making a quick decision. They would hide until Raphael and Valon had gone past before doubling back. Then, he could get Yugi home and they would be safe. He would have to talk to Bakura about the way the dog had suddenly deserted him. He thought that Bakura would know better than to do that. He snarled, glancing around before his eyes widening. Their hiding place was there.

He pulled Yugi into the alley, rushing through it before stumbling out onto the sidewalk on the other side, immediately dragging Yugi into the next alley, the two of them tumbling to the ground as Atemu pulled them to a stop. They lay on the ground, panting for breath, Atemu looking up as he heard Valon and Raphael shouting and their feet pounding on the sidewalk.

Atemu blinked, standing up before grabbing Yugi and shoving him against the wall in the shadows, pressing his body against the other's, staring at the entrance of the alley. He tensed, not from the sudden appearance of Valon and Raphael in human form, still chasing after them, but with the realization of what he had just done. In this position, he could feel Yugi's body moving against him as the smaller human breathed, shuddering as he felt Yugi's warm breath against his neck. Atemu bit back a whimper and turned his head back to look at the wall just above Yugi's head, fighting the urge to bury his face in Yugi's hair an inhale the human's scent.

"Atemu?" He barely muffled a moan as he felt Yugi pull him closer, feeling his body react to being in prolonged contact with the object of his affections and lust. It was only then that he realized that he was panting, trying to keep the sound quiet so that Valon and Raphael couldn't find them. There was some reason behind them not being found, but Atemu couldn't think of the reason. All he could think about was the way that Yugi was pressing against him.

Atemu trembled as Yugi slid his hands from Atemu's shoulders to his waist, the move encouraging Atemu to press up even more against him. He shifted without thinking, freezing as he realized what he was doing. Now was not the time to be thinking about these things, but Yugi was…

He gave into temptation as he felt Yugi rub against him, placing his hands on the wall to brace himself. Atemu didn't bother looking down the alley to see if Valon and Raphael were gone, all that mattered was Yugi. He finally had Yugi where he wanted him, and it appeared that Yugi wanted him just as much. Atemu smirked at the muffled moan that Yugi gave, the shorter human tipping his head so that he could nuzzle Atemu's neck. "Atemu, what are you doing to me?"

He laughed leaning closer as Yugi whimpered and pressed closer, waiting until Yugi's eyes opened. Atemu nearly collapsed at the lustful look in Yugi's usually innocent purple eyes. He couldn't help himself anymore. He didn't care that they could be caught any moment. He didn't care what would happen to them if Yakou found out. All that mattered was Yugi. _His_ Yugi.

Atemu leaned over, one hand going to the back of Yugi's neck as he pulled Yugi closer, trying to get as close to Yugi as possible as he kissed the shorter human. He felt Yugi tense in his arms for a moment before he leaned forward, Atemu losing his balance and stumbling backwards, grunting as he was shoved against the other wall of the alley. He heard Yugi moan, the sound opening up Yugi's mouth for further exploration, something that Atemu began eagerly, even as he slid down the wall.

He barely felt the rough brick surface catching on his clothes, too occupied with the feeling of Yugi trying to climb into his lap, hearing the short exclamation of victory as Yugi managed it. He immediately wrapped his arms around Yugi's waist, pulling him close so that their chests were resting against each other. Atemu ran a hand down Yugi's back, mourning the fact that he couldn't feel skin, but the feeling of Yugi shifting on his lap quickly chased away that idea.

Atemu broke the kiss to gasp for air, the two of them panting for breath as Atemu secured a good hold on Yugi's hips, encouraging the shorter human into motion. For a while, only the sounds of their panting and the faint jingle of the tags on their collars were heard, Yugi being the first one to break and moan. Atemu immediately pulled Yugi back down into a kiss, not sure why he had to be sure that they were both quiet, but something was telling him that they had to be, some annoying thought in the back of his mind.

"A-are they gone?" He blinked as Yugi spoke, looking up at him before glancing towards the mouth of the alley. There was no one there, but had there ever been? Atemu was too focused on Yugi to think about anything else. He leaned forward to nip at Yugi's neck, rewarded with a yelp of surprise before Yugi moaned and tipped his head back. "Atemu…"

"Yugi." The name was murmured against Yugi's neck, Atemu kissing around the collar that was still on Yugi's neck while his hands moved over the human's back. He finally found a place where he could get under the skin tight clothes that Yugi wore, immediately seeking out skin. He smirked as he heard Yugi gasp, feeling Yugi lean further into him.

"A-Atemu, we…we should probably…Atemu!" Yugi writhed against him, panting for air, his eyes sliding shut again. Atemu kept a steady hold on Yugi as Yugi slumped forward, panting for air and nuzzling Atemu's neck. "I feel so good. So good. Always this way around you."

He let out a loan moan as Atemu stroked his still clothed member, moving his hips in time with the gentle touches. Atemu was quickly losing his self control between the sounds that Yugi was making and the sensation of Yugi's breath against his neck. Atemu let out a groan as Yugi pushed away from him, the shorter teenager sliding to one side and falling onto the pavement, looking up at Atemu as he panted. "We should…probably go somewhere…"

Atemu nodded before standing, wincing in pain. There was no way that they were going to make it anywhere in their condition. He glanced around, barely noticing what part of the city that they had run to. His eyes landed on the warehouses that were almost invisible in the darkness of the alley. He narrowed his eyes, noticing that there was a door, probably leading into one of the warehouses.

A whimper drew his attention back down to Yugi, swallowing harshly as he watched the shorter human roll onto his back, reaching out for Atemu. "Please Atemu…need…"

"I know." Atemu knelt down, wincing with the move and drawing Yugi close to him, basking in the feeling of being able to hold Yugi. He was tempted to lay Yugi back and just take him there, but that would hurt his precious Yugi, and he was not willing to do that. Instead, he just held Yugi close, kissing the other's neck. "Just be patient, love."

Yugi whimpered and pressed closer, the both of them standing up slowly. Atemu wrapped an arm around Yugi's waist and steered him towards the door at the back of the alley, unable to stop himself to keep from stroking Yugi's body. It took longer than he would have liked to get to that door, Yugi immediately pushed against the door as Atemu continued where he had left off, unable to keep himself away from Yugi for long. They both moved to reinstate the kiss, pressing as close as they could.

Only when they ran out of breath did they pull back, Atemu taking the brief moment of clarity to open the door, sending them both tumbling to the floor. Atemu turned so that he took the brunt of the fall, moaning as Yugi took advantage of the move by sliding his hands under Atemu's shirt. He arched into Yugi's touch, pleas falling from his lips, most of which neither of them were aware of.

Atemu allowed Yugi to explore for a while more before rolling them over, Yugi blinking up at him before relaxing into a submissive position. Atemu gave a satisfied growl at the picture that Yugi presented him with, leaning forward to whisper in Yugi's ear, making sure to rub his body against Yugi's. "On your hands and knees."

Yugi swallowed but nodded before complying. Atemu backed away long enough to allow Yugi to move before he began to quickly strip of his clothes, throwing them carelessly to one side. He looked up to see that Yugi had followed suit, the shorter human naked and trembling in front of him. Atemu moved forward, running his hand down Yugi's back in a sort of reverent awe, the feeling not lasting long before the lust came back to him, urging him on.

Atemu knelt behind Yugi, leaning forward to kiss Yugi's neck, rubbing himself against the shorter human. Yugi gasped and leaned back into the motion, whimpering and mumbling incoherently. Atemu smirked, gently rubbing Yugi's shoulder before shifting forward a bit more to run his fingers over Yugi's cheek. He heard Yugi give another whimper before he felt Yugi's tongue tentatively touch his fingers. Atemu had a moment to wonder what the shorter human was doing before Yugi turned his head, taking Atemu's fingers into his mouth.

He slumped against Yugi as he felt the shorter human begin to tease his fingers with his tongue, Atemu resting his forehead against Yugi's neck and waiting for the pleasant torture to end. He breathed a sight of relief when Yugi released his fingers, biting back a surprised moan as Yugi pushed back against him, Atemu watching as Yugi's hands clenched into fists. "Please…Atemu…"

Atemu nodded, pushing away from Yugi before slipping one of his fingers into Yugi's body, watching the shorter human arch and writhe as he probed Yugi's insides, slipping a second finger in soon after. Carefully, he stretched Yugi, brushing his fingers against Yugi's prostate a few times before pulling them out, leaning forward to kiss Yugi's neck at the whimper that came from his lover. "Sorry…can't wait…"

"Fine…need you." Yugi's breathy reply was all the permission he needed.

Atemu gently guided himself into Yugi, listening to Yugi whimper before the shorter human finally let out a yelp of pain. He forced himself to stop then, trembling in place before Yugi tentatively leaned back into him again. Atemu smirked before pushing all the way in, both of them trembling. Atemu grunted and dug his fingers into Yugi's hips, slowly forcing himself to let go of the shorter human before he caused damage.

He wasn't sure who started moving first, he was too entranced with the sensation of tight heat and the sound of Yugi's cries. Atemu leaned over slightly, the motion pushing him deeper into Yugi, further into the tight heat. He heard Yugi scream with the move, pushing back against him and pleading for more, begging for him. Atemu wasn't sure what he was saying, concentrating on moving.

The sounds of their passion grew louder as they approached their ends, Atemu's unerring aim at Yugi's prostate making the shorter human scream nearly constantly, the soft jingle of the tags on the collars that they both wore nearly lost.

Yugi gave a whine and pushed back again, arching his back. "Close Atemu."

Atemu growled to himself, thrusting into Yugi harder and faster, the shorter human trembling before giving one last scream. He felt Yugi's body spasm as Yugi released, Atemu thrusting into Yugi a few more times before he too found his end, choking on the last syllable of Yugi's name before he slumped forward, managing to catch himself before he pulled out of Yugi. Atemu nearly collapsed on the floor, blearily watching as Yugi reached out for him. It took him a moment to realize what Yugi wanted, his mind still lost in a pleasurable daze.

He smiled and pulled Yugi close, making a small nest out of their clothes before curling around Yugi, listening to Yugi's breathing slow down. He briefly toyed with the tags on the collar around Yugi's neck before allowing his hand to wander down to Yugi's waist, taking a more secure hold on the shorter human. He heard Yugi give a content hum before he turned onto his other side, pressing his chest against Atemu's. A kiss was placed on Atemu's jaw before Yugi curled up again, falling asleep.

Atemu chuckled at the picture that Yugi made, gently brushing Yugi's bangs from his face before kissing Yugi's forehead. "Sleep well, Yugi."

He got a mumbled reply in return, Atemu smiling before he too drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"Why don't you invite him in?" Malik jerked his head up from his dish, the tags on his collar jingling softly. He swallowed the food before tipping his head to the side, watching Ishizu and Mahad from his place on the floor. Malik had been given a small amount of extra food, but he knew that he could get scraps from Mahad. The man wasn't immune to his tricks yet.

Ishizu tapped her fork against her plate, a sure sign that she was thinking. "He's over here every day for nearly all day. Invite him in one day before you two begin to freeze out there. I'm not coming out just to give you your blanket."

Malik snorted at the reminder, glancing at his short coat. He hated the winter, too cold for him. But Ishizu had always had a blanket ready for him, one that, as a puppy, he had dragged around the house. It was getting a bit ragged, but it was still warm. He growled at the thought of maybe having to share his precious blanket before calming himself. "I don't think I should. I…I don't know him that well…"

"But you've been talking to him for weeks. Unless you two just sit on the porch and stare at cars."

He glanced up at Ishizu before deciding that a sarcastic comment would not help. He didn't know what would set the pregnant woman off these days, so he was being careful. Both he and Mahad were basically tip-toeing around the house in the hopes that Ishizu wouldn't snap at them. Malik was having a better time of it, he could get away with looking cute while Mahad could only look lost and confused, something that didn't help in conversations with Ishizu.

Malik stood up and went to sit by Mahad, carefully shifting so their actions were hidden mostly by the table, Malik still considering a proper answer to Ishizu's statement. He waited until he had finished chewing on the piece of fat that Mahad has slipped him. "No, we actually do talk, but I don't know a lot about who he was. Let alone who he came from. All he will say is that he's working to stop what happened to me. And, I don't trust him around you."

"Malik, he's alright. I've been watching you two for weeks." She stopped at the growl that Malik gave, probably sensing his glare as well. Ishizu sighed before tapping her fork against her plate again. "If it makes you feel better, only bring him in when I'm not around."

"Fine. Since you insist."

"I do." And that would be the end of it, Malik knew that tone well. He huffed, sniffing at the broccoli that Mahad offered before taking it anyway. He rolled his shoulders before standing up and meandering into the living room, curling up on the bed that he had there, pulling his blanket over him and humming happily. He loved this old thing.

He pointedly didn't pay attention to Ishizu as she finished up dinner and walked into the living room, sitting on the couch and reaching for her book. Automatically, Malik glanced at the clock before deciding that he would let her read for two hours before demanding that she go to bed. He knew Mahad would keep her up doing all kinds of things, the stupid male, but, it was better than her living alone. Malik chuckled to himself and curled up to nap, opening one of his eyes as Ishizu spoke.

"He lives in the street."

"I know that. How do-"

"I see him every once and a while."

Malik opened his eyes to stare at her before shrugging. "It's his choice."

"Yes, but we were there once too." Malik whimpered involuntarily at the memory. It had been the only way to escape from Ishizu's insane father, so they had taken it. He had tried to forget the time they had been homeless, because it was something that he was not proud of; he hadn't always been able to protect her, just like when they had lived with her father. He swallowed and slowly glanced up at Ishizu watching her smile, she knew how he thought about that time. "So, do you blame me for wanting to see if I could help him out?"

He waited a long time before shaking his head. "No. But I don't trust him, especially with your pup on the way."

Ishizu blinked at him before resting a hand on her stomach with a smile. "But I know that you will take care of me."

Malik snorted, but Ishizu knew what he meant by that. They understood each other well. Now all he had to do was work on Mahad, but he assumed that the male would eventually get used to them. It just took time. And Mahad wasn't as useless as the other potential males that Ishizu had around before. He chuckled to himself before finding a comfortable spot, not bothering to open his eyes as Ishizu spoke again. "So, will you let him in?"

"Sure. Whatever."

They both knew that he meant yes.

* * *

"Hey, Raphael, found them!" Valon waved his partner over, putting one finger on his lips to indicate that they had to be silent before opening the door to the warehouse. Raphael shot him a confused look before he followed the other in, his eyes widening as he took in the tangled bodies on the floor.

"Wow."

"Yeah." Valon laughed quietly and shook his head, padding over to them before glancing over. "You take Atemu and I'll take his little buddy here. Let's get them back before they wake up."

"Alister has the car ready…"

"Good." Valon grunted softly as he picked up Yugi, discarded clothes dangling from his arms. "It'll be faster like that. And, maybe, Atemu wouldn't tear the hell out of you."

Raphael growled at that, picking up Atemu and striding for the exit. Valon rolled his eyes before following, glancing down at the human that he carried. Yugi stirred slightly, Valon shaking his head and gently rocking him. "Hush now, little one. We'll take good care of ya. Promise."

He couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up from his throat, smothering it slightly as he walked out of the warehouse and snuck around to the sidewalk, depositing his burden in the trunk of the car and slamming it before hopping into the backseat, smiling at Raphael before motion to Alastair. "Got 'em. Let's go."

The red-head nodded before staring the car and driving back toward the lab, Valon glancing back at the two still sleeping in the trunk before leaning back in his seat with a smile. Everything was going according to plan, perfectly according to plan. And wouldn't Gekkou be thrilled?

_

* * *

Secretly, I ship Malikxhis blanket. It's amazingly too cute._

_Please read and review. Constructive criticism is welcome._


	9. Chapter Eight

**Chapter Eight**

Solomon frowned as he walked back down the stairs into his shop. He had closed an hour earlier, sent Mana home and then he had gone looking for Yugi. That act in itself was strange. Usually, the Shiba Inu would already be waiting for him. Still, Yugi could have gotten distracted by his new playmate. But that had been an hour ago, and Solomon had already searched the entire house from top to bottom. He had even checked the storerooms, places where Yugi never went, not since he had gotten locked in there once.

He hummed to himself in worry, walking down to the shop to check down there again. Maybe Yugi had slipped past him and was now waiting at the door, probably with his leash on. He was startled out of his thoughts as he heard someone knocking at the shop door. Solomon frowned, glancing briefly at the clock before speeding up. It was just getting dark, so who would want his attention?

He descended into the shop, his eyes widening as he saw Mana standing nervously at the door, tugging a jacket more tightly around her. Solomon broke into a jog for the last few steps, quickly unlocking the door and letting Mana in. The teenager gave him a smile before tugging her jacket closer to her, leaning out to look outside before focusing on Solomon again. "Have you seen Atemu?"

"Atemu?" He blinked in surprise before shaking his head. "He didn't go home?"

"No. He wasn't there when I got back. Dad made me wait until after dinner to come here." Mana ran a hand through her hair before looking outside again. "I know he was here earlier because he always comes here."

Solomon frowned, leaning slightly against the door to the shop. "That's strange, because I haven't seen Yugi either."

Mana's eyes went wide. "Has something happened to him?"

"I don't know, but we'll find them." Solomon reached for his jacket, which hung by Yugi's leash and shrugged it on, stuffing the keys to his house into his pocket before bustling out the door, Mana jumping out in front of him and shifting nervously on the sidewalk. Solomon locked the door behind him before setting off towards the park, Mana walking quickly alongside him.

"What do you think has happened?" Mana was biting her lip, shoving her hands into her pockets and almost bouncing in place as they walked.

Solomon just shrugged, not willing to voice any ideas while he didn't have any information. He himself was afraid that he would find the body of his pet in the road somewhere in Domino. He shook his head to clear his thoughts, not wanting to think about that. But, just because he didn't want to imagine it, didn't mean that it wouldn't be true. Still, he was sure that mentioning it to Mana wouldn't help. She had probably already come up with that scenario, and a thousand more as well; it wouldn't help to fuel her hysteria.

He absently played with the keys in his pocket, keeping his eyes focused on the road in front of him. Yugi was an intelligent dog, he would keep himself out of trouble. And, Atemu would be sure to keep the little dog out of trouble, Solomon briefly smiling at that. He was glad that Yugi had found someone to play with, regretting his advanced years. He could only keep up with the youthful dog for so long before he would have to stop. At least Atemu could keep up with Yugi.

And Yugi seemed much happier with Atemu around.

Yugi spent most of his time around the Pharaoh Hound now. It wasn't unusual to see the two of them curled up together to take naps in the sun, or Yugi coercing Atemu into a game. And, while he spent a lot of time around the other dog, Solomon found that Yugi also seemed more inclined to spend him with him as well. Yugi became much more affectionate in the evening, happily talking with Solomon.

He liked this change in his dog, liked knowing that Yugi was actually happy most of the time. And it would be a lie to say that he wasn't worrying over Yugi's safety right now. But, he still trusted Atemu to keep his pet safe. Because he didn't want to think about what would happen if he lost Yugi, the little Shiba Inu much more than a pet suddenly, Yugi was family. He was more of a family to Solomon than his daughter and her husband. And he owed it to Yugi to keep the little dog safe.

* * *

Joey trotted out of the building, standing at the doors as the dogs rushed out, talking eagerly to each other despite the usual order to be silent, but it wouldn't matter in the end anyway. There wasn't anyone around that would come rushing to see what was going on. Well, Dartz was there, but Seto was easily holding him at bay, the black and tan dog more subdued that normal. Joey tipped his head to the side before glancing at Marik, noticing that the Vizla was trotting around with his nose to the ground, occasionally looking up and shaking his head.

The golden retriever tilted his head to the side, staring at Marik before looking back at Seto, letting the freed dogs rush for their homes without the usual talk. Something was horribly off tonight.

First, they hadn't been able to find Ryou, Bakura had probably already left with Atemu. With time running out, they had decided to forget about the white Cocker Spaniel and continue with their mission. Still, that had left them three short instead of the expected two. Second, they had seen Dartz and Alister sneaking around the building for a while before Alister suddenly disappeared, leaving Dartz to slink off into the woods by himself. Seto had looked tempted to go after the dog then, but they had held themselves back, waiting until Dartz wandered back along with another dog.

The third thing that was odd was that it had been almost too easy to get the dogs out. Without Bakura to do his usual skilled break in, Joey and Seto had done the best that they could, awkwardly stumbling in and leaving Marik to act as guard and distraction. Seto had immediately gone to corner Dartz while Joey had freed the dogs. It was all over in less than five minutes and without any hassle, something that worried the golden retriever, but not unduly. They _were_ getting the dogs out of here.

But then there was that fourth thing; that one important thing.

He hadn't seen Atemu or Bakura; seen them or smelled them in the lab since they had gotten here. There were a few scents that he had picked up, but they were old, from the other times that they had been here. And Joey really didn't want to venture out of the room where the dogs were held, his own mind supplying an image of endless hallways that led on forever. He didn't want to be caught up in that. Bakura was good at that sort of thing, so the white dog would be able to get out easily. And Joey contented himself with that.

Still, things were wrong. Joey growled to himself before glancing at Seto and jerking his head to the side, they were getting out of here. The husky looked up at him before giving Dartz one last glare and trotting out, leaving the black and tan dog to continue to cower in a corner.

Marik met up with them outside, the Vizla looking over at them before shrugging. "All the others ran, no time to talk."

"It's alright Marik."

"No. Wrong. Something wrong here." Marik growled and sniffed the ground again, trailing back to a certain point before sitting down. "Bakura never here."

"What?" Joey looked over his shoulder as Seto rushed over to where Marik was sitting, the husky nearly pressing his nose to the ground as he circled the area, Joey watching as the cold blue eyes narrowed. Seto came to a stop, turning his head to look around before glancing back at Joey. "He's right. The crazy dog is right."

Marik smiled and wagged his tail before becoming serious again, standing up and looking around. His ears perked up for a second, eyes narrowing as he glared at the ground, apparently following another trail. Joey tipped his head to the side and followed Marik, catching Atemu's familiar scent and another one, shaking his head at the latter scent. He didn't recognize it but, looking at Marik, the other dog did.

He snorted, looking up before mouthing a word, glancing back towards the suburbs before shrugging. Joey tipped his head to the side, wondering what the short moment of sanity meant before shaking it off. Marik would fluctuate between states, it wasn't important in the end.

Joey realized that Marik was staring at him, unnerved but the stare before turning away, looking back at Seto. With Atemu off on another mission, Seto was their leader. The husky seemed to enjoy the position, despite the fact that Seto had settled down with Atemu usurping him from the start. Joey didn't concern himself with the politics of their group beyond that; Serenity was his first priority. This team was just temporary, but Serenity was something that would always be there.

"We're leaving."

"Atemu?"

Seto snorted and rolled his eyes. "He can take care of himself. We're going home, there's nothing else to do."

Surprisingly, Marik didn't argue, falling into step behind them. The position beside Seto was left open to Joey, the golden retriever immediately taking the position and settling into a trot as Seto lead them away from the lab and back to the streets of the city. Joey was sure that Seto didn't even notice that he was there, the husky staring off into the distance with a look of concentration on his face.

"Marik." Joey jumped at the name, glancing back as the Vizla slunk up to Seto, the husky barely glancing at him. "You go find Bakura. I want to know the reason that he wasn't there tonight."

Marik nodded, ready to run off when a short bark from Seto kept him close. "Find Atemu in the morning and speak with him. I'll talk to him myself as well as tell Joey what I learn, but you'll probably find him before me."

The insane dog gave Seto a smile. "Marik good at finding Atemu-pack leader."

Joey flinched at the laugh that Marik gave before sprinting off into the darkness, leaving him at Seto alone. He looked back over at the husky, not surprised to see that Seto was deep in thought again. He shrugged to himself before staring ahead, trying to remember what Serenity had to do tomorrow.

"That was too easy."

"Hm?"

"That raid, it was too easy." Seto was nearly growling now. "Something is up and I want to know what."

"We can't until-"

"Until we hear from Atemu, yes." Seto shook his head, glaring at the sidewalk before looking up. "But keep your ears open, there might be something from the other dogs in the neighborhood. After months of the same pattern, why change?"

"Because we've become predictable?"

"No, we've been predictable from the start, but they didn't change tactics then. It's something else. Damn Atemu for not giving us more information. I can think as well as he can."

"Maybe he didn't have all the information?" Joey shrunk back at the glare that was sent his way, Seto staring at him for a long time before huffing.

"You're not as dumb as you act."

"Thanks? I think."

"Don't think too much on it." Seto smirked. "You might hurt yourself."

"Hey!" Joey snarled before he heard Seto give a bark of laughter, his eyes widening before he shrugged off the shock. It was right to assume that Seto had a 'normal' side, but the husky had never shown any signs of it before. Still, it was almost frightening to see Seto laughing. The golden retriever stared at the other dog, watching as Seto calmed himself down before shaking his head, turning towards the streets that would lead him back to the mansion that he lived it.

"Have fun with your blind owner."

"R-right. Tell the kids hi from me." Joey couldn't figure out what to say to Seto's farewell, watching as the husky ran down the streets before heading for home himself. He didn't know why Seto was suddenly in a good mood, but he wasn't going to question it. Anything was better than being insulted. Besides, Seto wasn't his charge, so he wouldn't worry about it.

But tomorrow, everything would be back to normal.

* * *

"Ryou?" He looked up at his name, staring up at Bakura before realizing that the human was holding a cup out for him. Automatically, Ryou took the cup, leaning back in his seat and sipping the water, going back to his staring ahead. He didn't know how long he had been sitting here, staring at the wall; it just felt like ages. He was barely aware of anything going on around him, from the nurses who were moving through the waiting area to Bakura flopping down in the chair beside him. All he could think about was the crash.

He had even lost track of Landon somewhere along the way, the man walking off to take care of things while Ryou was left with Bakura watching over him. Ryou hadn't even been aware that Bakura had left his side earlier, too focused on that one memory stuck on repeat.

He jumped as he felt a hand land on his shoulder, tearing his gaze away from the wall to look at Bakura. Ryou watched dispassionately as Bakura tried to smile, the other finally just giving up and keeping his hand resting on Ryou's shoulder. "Listen, they're going to be alright."

"H-how do you know?" He blinked at the scratchy quality to his voice, ignoring it as he turned to stare back at the wall. He didn't care at the moment, all he wanted to know was if Amane and Victoria were alright. Nothing else mattered right now. Ryou felt his attention drifting away again, already traveling the familiar paths in his thoughts. He was given another shake by Bakura, turning to look at the other even more slowly this time.

"Hey, stay with me, Ryou." He stared at Bakura, not really comprehending what the other was saying. It was just another direction to stare in. Bakura gave him another shake, Ryou forced to focus with the motion. "I mean it Ryou. You'd better stay with me, don't go off staring into space again."

"Why?"

"Because it won't help them."

"Bakura…Bakura they were…Oh God, Bakura." Ryou looked away and buried his head in his hands, his shoulders shaking as he sobbed. He felt hands hesitantly running over his back before he was pulled into Bakura's chair, pulled onto the other's lap. He immediately curled towards Bakura, tucking his head under Bakura's chin and clinging to the other's shirt. Bakura began rocking him awkwardly before stopping and just holding him close. "It's going to be alright, Ryou."

"But they were hit by a car, Bakura. They were hit and I couldn't do anything."

"I saw them, Ryou, they're going to be alright. You're not going to lose them." Bakura ran his hand up and down Ryou's back, Ryou relaxing despite himself. He sniffled before curling tighter against Bakura and shutting his eyes. He was just so exhausted at the moment, so tired that he just wanted to fall asleep. He whimpered as he eyes began to fall shut, Bakura tightening his hold on him. "It's alright, Ryou, sleep. I'll wake you if anything happens."

"Promise."

He heard Bakura pause, looking over to watch the people moving around, wondering what had caught Bakura's attention. His head was gently turned back towards Bakura's chest a moment later. Ryou sighed and found a comfortable position. "Yeah, I promise, Ryou."

He smiled to himself as he slipped off to sleep, lulled by the sound of Bakura's heartbeat and warmth. Ryou wasn't sure if he actually slept or just dozed, sliding in and out of sleep for a while. The memories of what had happened to his family still ran through his head, getting more gruesome with each replay. There was blood on the windshield now and an arm thrown almost carelessly into the middle of the road. In the car, someone was crying and another was screaming; and Ryou could just stand there.

Ryou woke himself up by nearly falling off of Bakura's lap, the other keeping a strong hold on him so he didn't tumble to the floor. Ryou whined and opened his eyes, looking up at Bakura before looking around the room, barely noticing that it was night now. He sighed and glanced at the clock, surprised by the time that had passed, far too short. He groaned and rolled back onto Bakura's lap, feeling the other shift under him.

"Here." There was the faint crinkling of a wrapper, the sound making Ryou open his eyes. He stared at the granola bar before looking back up at Bakura in confusion. The packaged food was waved in front of his face while Bakura smiled. "Starving yourself will do nothing to help them."

"But I-"

"Eat. You'll feel a bit better."

Ryou reluctantly took the bar, carefully unwrapping it before nibbling on a corner, keeping an eye on Bakura as he ate. He wasn't sure how to react to Bakura acting like this; he was far too used to the more malicious side of the dog. Of course, he had assumed that Bakura could act like he cared, but it had just been a passing thought at all times, never serious. But, he was being proved wrong. He snuggled close to Bakura, still eating.

They both looked up as Landon walked in, the man's usually neat hair mussed from running his hand through it. Ryou swallowed his bit of food, shifting on Bakura's lap before getting up and scurrying over to Landon's side. The man didn't look up as Ryou came over, staring at the ground with a blank expression. Ryou swallowed nervously, tipping his head to one side before clearing his throat. "Landon?"

He was surprised as Landon suddenly hugged him, shuddering with suppressed sobs. Ryou stood in shock for a moment before he wrapped his arms around the human and hugged him back, feeling Landon relax a bit with the motion. Ryou sighed, holding the only member of his family he had close, not really wanting to let him go. What if Landon was the only one left? What then? He didn't want to think that far ahead, he didn't want to recognize that eventuality at all.

"Oh Ryou…"

"It'll-" His voice caught on the next word, squeaking up an octave before Ryou got control of it. He coughed, shaking his head before trying to speak again. He was the only one left to do this for Landon now, he had to try his best to comfort him. "It'll be alright."

Landon nodded before standing up straight, his arms dropping from around Ryou. "They're stable, thank heavens, after the operations, but they'll be in here for a while."

"W-what?" He had been thinking for so long that Amane and Victoria were dead that it was hard to hear that they had survived. Ryou blinked and took a step back, a slow smile crossing his face. "They're alright?"

"Yes." Landon nodded to himself, seeming to need to reassure himself more than Ryou. "Yes, they're alright, but they'll have to remain here. And…and…"

"We'll work on it." Ryou smiled and nodded, glancing back at Bakura before sighing. "We'll figure this out."

Landon gave him a shaky smile before moving back over to the seats and collapsing, rubbing his hands over his face. Ryou watched him before shuffling back over towards Bakura, glancing between the seat next to the other and Bakura's lap. He shrugged before flopping back in Bakura's lap, loathe to leave the warmth there. Bakura welcomed him back, allowing Ryou to snuggle up to him before wrapping his arms around him.

Ryou sighed, closing his eyes and finding his comfortable position again. He resumed his nibbling at the granola bar, still not really hungry but knowing that Bakura would find a way to make him eat it in the end. Ryou sighed, and closed his eyes for a moment, offering a quick prayer that Amane and Victoria would be alright.

* * *

Gekkou looked up as the two humans were brought in, tipping his head to the side as Valon rested one on the table and Raphael kept a hold of the other. He narrowed his eyes, looking at the two before stepping away from the stainless steel table of the kennel room. "What is this?"

"These two volunteered their services, boss." Valon gave him a wide smile before setting the smaller of the two down onto the table. "And don't worry, they just fell asleep on the way over. We found them trying to get away from Yakou."

He eyed Valon carefully. "Really?"

"Of course. We decided to just help them out. They wanted to help. As I said, they volunteered for anything." Gekkou glanced down at the floor, tapping his fingers against his arm. It was true that he needed volunteers for his experiments, but he only would use volunteers. Still, he would have rather had them awake for this. He raised a hand to rub his forehead before nodding, missing the victorious smirks from Raphael and Valon.

"Alright, just let me think."

There was this one thing that he wanted to try, the thing that he had been working on for years. It would be a dream come true to have a success with a larger animal and his chance was lying right in front of him. All it would take was in injection to both of them to change them back into their dog form and then he could start. After all, he had their permission…The temptation was too great. He would be able to finally see if his dream could be accomplished.

Gekkou nodded, gesturing for Alister to come in. To his surprise, Dartz limped in after, the man glancing at him before rubbing at his side with a sheepish smile. "Tripped."

He raised an eyebrow before shaking his head and focusing on what he needed to get done. First, a good size kennel would be prepared for these two; he didn't want to separate them now. Then, he would have to prep the surgery room, the second step of this process more complicated than the first. Still, that would all have to wait until he decided between the two of them. And that was better done while they were in their dog form.

Gekkou walked around the table, and reached for the needle that held a clear liquid. He grimaced at the sight of it, hating that he had come up with this in the first place before carefully wiping off a section of the arm of the human that Raphael held, injecting the human with the solution. He waiting for a moment, relaxing as the human shifted, changing into a Pharaoh Hound. Gekkou gently patted the dog's head before repeating the process on the other one.

He stared at the Shiba Inu that was on the table, glancing between it and the Pharaoh Hound. While he had tested well on rats and other small animals, he wasn't sure if jumping immediately to a larger dog would be smart. The body could reject the parts that he would be implanting; it would be easier for him if the body he was working with was small to start out with. He nodded to himself before stepping back. "Keep the large dog in here. Valon, get the surgery ready. Alister, get the kennel ready and make it nice."

Alister and Valon nodded before leaving, the latter picking up the Shiba Inu before he left; it would be a while before he needed the little dog.

Gekkou rolled his shoulders before walking over to the sink that was in the corner of the kennel room, glancing back at Raphael. He motioned for the blonde to rest the Pharaoh Hound on the table, glancing around as he went through the mental list of all the things he had to do. Still, this was exciting, it was his chance to see if he could actually do something to help the world. And he couldn't help the smile that crossed his face.

* * *

He moaned as he woke up, blinking slowly and wondering why one side of his body felt so cold. And why he felt so good. He couldn't help the smile that crossed his face at that last thought, his eyes sliding shut at the memory. He _knew_ why he felt so good.

Yugi.

His precious Yugi.

He gave a happy hum, trying to get comfortable again, only to feel the side of his face press into leather and something cold. He snarled slightly to himself, wondering why he was suddenly this uncomfortable and why there was something over his face. Atemu shook his head, expecting the thing that had draped itself over him to go away, leave him to cuddle with Yugi. But it didn't.

He opened his eyes with a low growl, the sound dying in his throat as he took in where he was. He recognized the concrete and the rows of cages. He recognized the place, but it didn't make sense in his mind. He and Yugi had just been in a warehouse, curled up on a pile of their clothes. They had been nowhere near where Gekkou's lab was. Which meant that they had been carried here while they slept.

Atemu cursed before beginning to struggle, growling as he saw Raphael standing at the head of the table. He was about to shout at the blonde when he heard someone else moving around the room, craning his head in an attempt to see who else was here. His eyes widening as he recognized Gekkou, the man moving around just barely in his line of vision.

"Boss, he's awake." Atemu heard Gekkou turn around at that, stopping his struggles to stare at the man in horror. To make it worse, Gekkou was smiling.

"Good. Ready, Raphael."

"Yes."

Atemu glanced up at the blonde, watching as he took something from the table. Atemu snarled at the rag, trying to scoot away only to realize that he couldn't. Annoyed, the glared up at Raphael, nearly growling out the words. "What are you doing?"

Raphael didn't answer, just held the rag in front of him. Atemu tried to hold his breath, lasting for a few seconds before he had to breathe out, catching the scent on the rag as he breathed in again. He froze at the familiarity of it, taking another long breath just to relish the scent of Yugi, hating himself for it. He was just as much human as he was dog, he could be more sensible than this. But he found himself focused entirely on Yugi's scent, the smell bringing up memories for a few hours before.

A moan slipped out before he could stop it, his eyes fluttering shut. This was humiliating that he could be undone so easily, Atemu barely able to focus on the world around him as he lost himself to the scent and the memories of Yugi. It was so easy to remember the way that Yugi had felt, the way that Yugi had sounded as they had given into their lust, too easy to lose himself to that. The feeling of something slipping into him and gently rubbing against his inner muscles was completely overlooked.

The pleasurable sensations came to a peak, Atemu letting out a whine as he climaxed, hating himself more for the action. He shut his eyes, keeping them tightly shut as he felt hands moving over him, undoing the straps that had held him to the table, flinching as they took the muzzle from his face. Atemu glanced up at Raphael, lowering his eyes in the next moment. He would never be able to face the dog again, certainly not after this. If the rest of the team ever got wind of this…Atemu didn't want to think about the consequences.

He was lifted from the table and carried away, frowning as he saw Gekkou examining a vial. Atemu didn't have long to think about it, Raphael carefully opening the door and walking outside. Atemu craned his head, frowning as he realized that he was being taken to a part of the building that he had never been in, the only room that he and Yugi had not searched earlier because they had been spotted. He tipped his head to the side, flinching as the door was opened and slammed shut close to his head.

Atemu perked up as he heard scrambling coming from one of the larger kennels, leaning forward and struggling against Raphael. The blonde just have him a squeeze, Atemu gasping for breath as the blonde knelt down and opened the kennel before shoving him in. Atemu had the time to gather a breath before Yugi was pressing up against him. He was about to curl around the smaller dog when he remember what had happened mere moments ago, ducking his head and going to curl up in a corner. But Yugi wouldn't let him.

Yugi settled close to him, interrupting the position he was moving into, forcing Atemu to forget about his plan just to mope. It was a reminder that they both had to get out of here quickly. He didn't know what Gekkou was planning for them, but he didn't want anything to happen to Yugi. He rested his head on his paws, glaring at the steel walls as he tried to come up with a plan.

"Atemu?" He looked back at Yugi as the Shiba Inu spoke cautiously. "What happened?"

"We were caught." Atemu cursed himself for giving into his lust and not finding a way to bring Yugi home safely. He should have known better. He huffed, a reprimand to himself before he dragged himself away from his thoughts. When they got out of this place of torment, he could afford to waste time berating himself for his mistakes, but there were more important things that he had to take care of. "We're back in Gekkou's labs."

Yugi shivered. "What are they going to do to us?"

"I don't know." He shifted so he was curled more tightly around Yugi, gently nuzzling the smaller dog. "I don't know. But I won't let anything happen to you."

"Promise."

Atemu smiled at the look that Yugi gave him, his purple eyes wide. The Pharaoh Hound nodded. "I promise, Yugi."

That seemed to comfort Yugi, the little dog snuggling closer with a long sigh. "Will the others know to help us?"

"Knowing them, they've already come and gone for the night." Atemu glanced at the grating. "Neither of our hands are small enough to get through the grating, so we'll have to wait for them to come back tomorrow. But they'll find us."

"Alright. I just don't want Solomon to worry." Yugi gave Atemu a wavering smile, the smaller dog obviously trying to be brave. "I'm the only one that he has."

"I know." They drifted into silence, Atemu returning his gaze to the metal wall. He would figure a way out before the rest of his team came tomorrow night, it would be safer that way. The longer they stayed in here, the better the chance that Yugi would be taken away from him. He would try his best to keep his promise, but he had to sleep too. They had stolen them away once while they were sleeping. What if it happened again?

He lost track of the time that passed, mind blanking as he stared at the wall. Atemu only perked up as he heard the door to the room open, a low growl rumbling from his stomach as he stood up, the move shifting Yugi. The Shiba Inu looked up at him, Atemu jerking his muzzle to the side to indicate that Yugi should stay back. He moved towards the front of the kennel, peering out through the grate.

He thought he saw a flash of blonde, snarling at the sight before the kennel was suddenly opened, Atemu not having time to react as Raphael suddenly barged his was in, the gold furred dog slamming him into the back of the kennel. He yelped and struggled, clawing at Raphael as he tried to see Yugi. In response, Raphael pressed him harder against the metal wall of the kennel, Atemu gasping for air.

"Atemu!" His head jerked up at the sound of his name, trying to speak Yugi's name only to wheeze for breath. Raphael pressed him harder against the cage, Atemu hearing bones creak.

He saw Yugi glance back at him, looking at the front of the cage to where it was open. He looked back at Atemu, the Pharaoh Hound making a weak motion for Yugi to escape. The little dog had a better chance of getting out than he did. Yugi could probably hide and tell the others what was going on and where to find him. But that came second to his worry for Yugi. It would be better if Yugi got out, left before Gekkou tried to experiment on him as well.

He didn't know what he would do if something happened to Yugi.

Yugi glanced back at the open kennel before growling and spinning back around, rushing for Raphael. Atemu yelped, clawing at the yellow dog to try and push Raphael away. "Yugi, no!"

The Shiba Inu collided with the larger dog, Yugi clawing as Raphael's leg before ducking under his stomach, pushing off the wall there to throw himself at Raphael's hind end. The yellow dog let out a yelp as he fell over, his balance thrown off. Yugi tumbled with him, hitting the other side of the kennel before standing up shakily. Atemu slumped to the floor of the kennel, panting for breath, watching as Yugi rushed over to him. "Atemu!"

"Yu-" Atemu coughed, trying to get to his feet before falling back to the floor with a groan. He was sore all over, too sore to move much. He rocked slightly, using the wall to prop himself up as Yugi nearly barreled into him. The little dog whimpered before moving to lick his face, Atemu smiling at the sign of affection. "I'm fine, Yugi."

"Good. Good." Yugi nodded before cuddling up to him, shuddering. Atemu turned to nuzzle Yugi, freezing when he saw Raphael getting up, Yugi noticing the move and looking back as well. The Shiba Inu stood up, turning to face Raphael and growling. "Get away from him!"

Raphael gave Yugi a long look before lunging forward and grabbing the smaller dog by the scruff of his neck. Yugi yelped, clambering to stay close to Atemu. The Pharaoh Hound snarled and tried to get to his feet, panting as he used the wall to brace himself, pulling himself upright. He turned to glare at Raphael, only to find that the dog had moved out of the kennel, Raphael standing in his human form just outside the kennel, holding Yugi. Atemu gave and angry bark before charging forward, Raphael slamming the grate closed just as Atemu reached the front.

He grunted as he hit the front of the kennel, falling back onto the floor with a long groan. He looked up as he heard a whimper, staring at Yugi as the Shiba Inu was taken out of the room, trying to follow them with his eyes. All too soon, Raphael had walked out of his line of vision and Yugi started screaming.

"Atemu! Atemu don't let them take me! Please, Atemu, I'm scared!"

"Yugi!" He pulled himself to his feet, leaning against the front of the kennel as he coughed, shaking his head before leaning until he could see Yugi, just before the door swung shut. "No! Yugi!"

He clawed at the grate before backing away, slamming his shoulder into it twice before sinking to the ground, aching and in pain. Atemu whimpered as he slowly stood up, leaning against the grate to keep himself from falling over, his legs shaking as he tried to keep himself upright. "Don't take him. Don't take him! Bring him back to me! Bring my Yugi back!"

His own shouts echoed back at him, Atemu falling back down again. He dropped his head, panting for breath a moment before throwing back his head and howling.

_

* * *

Please read and review. Constructive criticism is welcome._


	10. Chapter Nine

**Chapter Nine**

"Gekkou?" He turned around at the sound of his name, finishing toweling off his hands. Gekkou blinked as he saw Valon peering into the surgery room with wide eyes, shivering at the scent of blood before refocusing on the scientist. Gekkou allowed him to have his moment, knowing that the scents would be stronger for Valon and probably more distracting. He sighed and leaned against the sink, motioning for the other to speak.

Cautiously, Valon slunk into the room, his eyes looking everywhere but on the table, sticking to the wall of the room. Gekkou watched him closely, noticing that his eyes dropped to the little Shiba Inu that was still splayed out on the operating table. Valon licked his lips before shaking his head. "I assumed because the light over the door was off that you were finished."

"Yes."

"I came here for…orders." Valon seemed to hesitate over the word, his eyes dropping back to the dog on the table before jerking back up. Gekkou ignored the behavior, finishing cleaning himself up before going to check on the dog again.

The Shiba Inu was still under, his sides rising and falling regularly. And, on what few instruments he had, the dog's vital signs looked normal. It seemed that everything was fine, but he could never tell. The body could reject the implant and kill the dog, something that Gekkou didn't want. He desperately wanted this experiment to work. He absently stroked the dog's side, thinking over the best plan of action.

This one had been brought in with another dog, meaning that they were probably close if they had both tried to escape Yakou at the same time. It would be wrong to separate them now, but it might have to happen in the future. There were few households that wanted more than one dog. He shook his head and looked up at the ceiling, finally coming to his decision.

"We'll put him back with the other one for now. It'll be easy enough to keep him under observation there. We'll keep them both in there for now."

"How long?"

"Sixty-three days?" Gekkou ran the numbers through his head before giving a shrug "A little more than two months." He smiled and looked down at the dog on the table, gently rubbing behind the Shiba Inu's ears. "And then we'll find these two and their puppies a home, if everything works out."

He heard Valon grunt in agreement, taking at as a sign that his orders would be carried out before he heard the man walk out of the room. Gekkou looked up suddenly as he heard something hit the ground, metal jingling at it tapped against metal and the floor. He was about to call Valon back when he realized that the door had already shut and Valon was already gone. Gekkou sighed to himself, giving the little dog one last pat before circling around to pick up the thing that Valon had dropped, his eyebrows furrowing as he stared at the two collars that he held in his hand.

Instead of calling Valon back, he looked at the collars, turning the two over in his hand before looking at the tags with a frown. Atemu and Yugi. Were those the two dogs that he had with him right now? But then, why would they volunteer for this if they had a place to live? Even then, why would they lie to get in here? The two orange tags on the collars showed that they were the dogs who had been treated with radiation, the dogs that could transform, but the color of the tags showed that these two had come from this town.

Gekkou shrugged and put the collars into his pocket, turning to gently lift the Shiba Inu from the table, removing the tube that supplied the anesthetic from the dog's mouth. He would worry about those collars later, he should be focusing on this dog, watching him carefully for any signs of his body rejecting the implant. The collars were probably from some other dogs anyway; Valon was known for collecting the strangest things.

* * *

"Yugi?" He felt something wet run across his muzzle, flinching slightly at the touch before reaching up to paw it away. He didn't want to get up just yet, he was still sleepy. But that thing was back, insistent. Yugi moaned, trying to roll, but wincing at a sudden pain in his stomach. He heard something whimper, feeling whatever he was leaning against shift before something gently prodded against where his stomach hurt. Yugi gave a weak growl and tried to move away from that thing, finding himself unable to move. "Yugi? Yugi, please wake up."

He must have made a sound that sounded like a word, the thing that he was leaning against shifting closer, curling around him. He heard the other catch their breath for a moment before letting it out in a long breath. "I need to know what they have done to you, Yugi. I need to know if I can help you."

"A-Atemu?" Yugi opened one eye to look up at the Pharaoh Hound, watching Atemu relax with the motion. He struggled to push himself upright, yelping at the pain in his stomach. He bared his teeth, resting his head against Atemu's side, trying to even out his breathing. "It hurts."

"I know, Yugi, I know. But I don't know what they've done to you." His voice wavered, Atemu scooting closer. "I couldn't stop them."

"Atemu?"

"I couldn't stop them from taking you." Yugi looked up at the trembling dog, trying to get his mind working again, feeling it change gears slowly. He was still woozy from what had happened to him, a bit disturbed by the gap in his memories. But he could slowly feel himself waking up; maybe the rest would come to him then. Right now, he was focused on the pain in his stomach. He wanted to tear at it, but that would just hurt more. Instead, his let out his breath with a hiss before slumping against Atemu, looking up at him.

"Have they hurt you?"

"What?"

Yugi shook his head with a smile. "Have they hurt you?"

"You shouldn't worry about-"

"Atemu." The Pharaoh Hound stopped, staring at Yugi. "Have they hurt you?"

Atemu shook his head slowly, resting his head against Yugi. "No. No, they have not. But they've hurt you."

"I know." Yugi winced before finally pulling himself into a comfortable position, finding a comfortable spot on the cold floor to rest his stomach on, letting out a long sigh at the cool touch. "And I'm trying to remember anything but," he shook his head, "Raphael took be out of this room, put something on my head and the air turned weird. I must have fallen asleep because I can't remember much, just waking up here."

Atemu gave a concerned hum before resting his head on his paws, Yugi leaning forward to lick Atemu's muzzle. "I'm alright now."

"Yes. Now." Atemu gave him a long look. "But I don't know what he did to you. I don't want…"

Yugi tipped his head to the side, worried for the Pharaoh Hound. "Don't want what?"

Atemu glanced at him before staring at the kennel wall. "Yugi, did what we did in the warehouse mean anything to you? Or was it just…something?"

Yugi ducked his head, one paw rising to rest on his muzzle. "It…it meant a lot to me. I…I think I like you, Atemu, as more than a friend. But I'm not sure…I'm sorry, but I just don't know how to do this…"

"Neither do I, Yugi." Atemu chuckled, giving him a smile. "But we'll find out together, right?"

Yugi nodded, wincing as he shifted. Atemu's attention went immediately to his stomach, the Pharaoh Hound staring at it before gently prodding it with his nose. Yugi whimpered and shifted away. "Hurts."

He heard Atemu hum before the dog shifted, Yugi suddenly without something to rest against. He looked up as Atemu came around to his other side, laying down again and staring at his stomach. A paw was placed on Yugi's shoulder and gently pushed against him, urging Yugi to roll over onto his side. The Shiba Inu flinched before obeying, watching as Atemu's eyes widened. "Stitches."

"What?"

"On your stomach." Atemu leaned forward, stopping short of touching him. The Pharaoh Hound pulled away again after a moment, staring at the back of the kennel before getting up and returning to his original position curled around Yugi. The smaller dog shifted back, pressing close against Atemu as he shut his eyes. He badly wanted all of this just to be a nightmare; then he could wake up back at his house, curled up in his nest of blankets and everything would be alright.

He smiled as Atemu gently licked him, leaning into the motion. Yugi felt Atemu sigh, the Pharaoh Hound curling closer to him. "We'll find out what happened to you, Yugi. And we'll get out of here safely."

"I know. I trust you." Atemu smiled at that, nuzzling behind one of Yugi's ears. Yugi gave a happy sigh, shifting so he could rest a paw on top of one of Atemu's. The Pharaoh Hound stared at the paw resting over his own before giving Yugi a soft smile.

"My Yugi."

"Yours, as long as you're mine." Atemu chuckled before licking Yugi again, the Shiba Inu whining as Atemu began to give him a tongue bath, enjoying the sensation. He squirmed a bit, flinching when that hurt his tender stomach. Yugi sighed and shut his eyes, content with leaning into the action of the tongue. "Is this love?"

"I…I don't know."

"Another thing we'll find out?"

"Together."

* * *

Ryou was shaken out of his doze, blinking as he realized that he was back at his house, glancing over at Bakura before unbuckling his seat belt. He stumbled out of the car, hanging onto the door as he swayed, yawning. They had been asked to go home, despite the crushing worry that both he and Landon had over the state of Amane and Victoria. While both had been fine leaving surgery, they were both still recovering and asleep. There had been nothing more that they could do for them.

He looked up as Bakura rested a hand against his arm, gently guiding him towards the house. Ryou looked up to see Landon already opening the door, biting his lip as he realized how much stress that this was putting on him. Ryou reached for Bakura's hand, holding it as they walked up to the house. He thought he caught a look of surprise on Bakura's face, but was too focused on Landon to properly process the look.

Tomorrow was another day and, while Landon could get out of teaching classes for the next day and, maybe, the day after, he couldn't take that much time off. They still had to find a way to pay for the hospital bills and it would be better if they both tried to keep moving on with life. Suddenly, Ryou felt the weight of everything that was going on, realizing that he would have to be the one that would have to keep Landon moving. He would have no time to just get over this shock himself.

He leaned against Bakura with a long sigh, resting his head against the other's shoulder and closing his eyes. He thought he heard Bakura laugh before an arm wrapped around his waist. "Let's get you to bed."

"'kay." Ryou stumbled up the steps into the house, partially leading Bakura to his room, not wanting to sleep in Amane's room as he had usually done. He just wanted to collapse and sleep, hoping that this would just be a bad nightmare. But he knew that wasn't true, and that just made him even more reluctant to face the next day.

Bakura eased him into the bed, sliding him into place and even tucking him in. Ryou looked at him in confusion for a moment, blinking sleepily before shaking his head. The other just smiled and rested a hand on his chest, stopping Ryou from getting up. "I'll make sure everything is locked up."

"Really?" Ryou smiled in thanks, the expression lasting a minute before he shook his head. "No, it's my job. I can't just abandon it because="

"Ryou," Bakura pushed him back to the ground, "you will have the chance to run yourself ragged soon enough. I've got it tonight."

He went to leave, Ryou lunging for Bakura's hand and holding it tight, almost getting dragged off the bed as Bakura went to walk away. Ryou watched as Bakura came to a confused stop, staring back at him before backtracking to tuck him in again. Ryou scrambled to grab Bakura's hand again, keeping a good hold as Bakura tried to pull away. "Stay."

"What?"

"Stay please." Ryou blushed and looked down at the covers. "I'm scared…"

He expected to be shouted at for that, but was greeted with silence, slowly looking up to stare at Bakura. On his part, Bakura looked thoughtful, glancing around the room before nodding. "I'll come back, Ryou. I just need to check up on the others."

"But-"

"Two hours at the most."

Ryou hesitated for a moment before nodding slowly, allowing him to go. "Please…"

"Ryou," Bakura sighed, "we're a team, right?"

"No."

"What?"

"We just follow Atemu and try to help Yakou but," Ryou twisted the covers in his hands, biting his bottom lip, "I want to keep this, just keep this family. It's more important than all of this running around and getting nowhere. I-I…never mind."

He felt Bakura's gaze on him, Ryou staring down at the covers. He had finally gotten that off his chest, but it was probably to the wrong person. Now Bakura would just leave him. Ryou groaned and ran his hands through his hair, shaking his head. "I shouldn't have said that."

"I'll be back in no more than two hours, Ryou." Bakura nodded before walking out of the room, pausing just outside of the door. "Maybe, when all of this insanity is over, you can show me why you like this so much. I can't imagine why you like it, but I'll listen. Just to you though."

Ryou felt his mouth drop open in shock as Bakura walked away, blinking rapidly before falling back onto the pillows. He hadn't expected that answer but, then again, he didn't expect much from Bakura, mostly because the other was completely unpredictable. He had stopped trying to figure out what Bakura was thinking or doing just because Bakura was…Bakura. And it was strange to see him care like this. But he was the only other one on the team that Bakura talked to, Marik couldn't really count.

He sighed and curled up under the blankets, closing his eyes and deciding to try and fall asleep. It would be a long day tomorrow and he trusted Bakura to come back.

* * *

Seto slowed his jog to a stalk, glaring at the jeep that was parked outside of the mansion, his mouth twitching up into a growl. He glanced to the side, sneaking into the bushes that surrounded the property and pushing through them, completely focused on the jeep. It had no right to be here, it could be bringing harm to Noa and Mokuba. Seto glanced towards the house, considering rushing to see if they were all right before shaking his head. He would deal with this thing outside first.

With a snarl he pushed out of the bushes, seeing a shadow move from the jeep. Seto barked, scrambling to get between the house and the shadow, the fur on his back standing up. He glared at the shadow, his display of aggression stopping dead when he recognized the person who was standing before him. Seto bit back a sharp come back, remembering that this wasn't someone close to him, he had no right to speak like that to his superior.

"Seto." Yakou dipped his head in greeting, Seto slowly doing the same. "I see that you have done well."

"As well as I can do." Seto glanced up at Yakou before looking away with a low growl. "We could have done better if you had put me in charge. Atemu is too distracted by-"

"Atemu has found the information that I need." Seto perked up at that, looking back at Yakou. The man chuckled and went to crouch on the ground. "He found information about the process that was used to make you like this. If I have that, then I can figure out how to change you guys back."

"If he did, then he never told any of us."

Yakou smiled and reached out to pet him, Seto allowing it for now. "I asked him not too. I wasn't sure who I could trust after Raphael, Valon, Dartz and Alister defected. He vouched for all of you in the end, said that you couldn't be traitors. But he still continued to work in secret, because I had asked him to. Sorry about never telling you guys."

Seto shook his head, watching for Yakou's reaction. He tried not to smirk, knowing that Yakou had misread him since the human was smiling. Yakou had taken his motion as dismissal of the subject. But Seto wasn't ready to let the idea go. Yakou was the only one that they could trust in this whole operation, and he had just admitted to lying to them. Seto bit back a growl and forced himself to pretend like he was paying attention. He was only willing listen to the human because Yakou could return him to normal.

Then he wouldn't be thinking like this, wouldn't be constantly worrying over Mokuba and Noa. He could concentrate on the things he used to worry about, like finding food. The human world was too complex for him to understand, and what he didn't understand he didn't want to deal with.

"So, why are you here now?"

Yakou looked confused for a moment before scratching his neck. "I came to get those papers and take you guys back with me." Seto's eyes went wide at that, looking over at the house where Mokuba and Noa were sleeping, shaking his head and forcing himself to concentrate as Yakou continued speaking. "Since I'll have those notes, I can change all of you back to normal and you won't need to be here. You can go back to your old lives."

"How long would the process take?"

"Give me a year to be sure that it is safe." Yakou smiled and offered his hand, Seto looking at it with a huff to distaste before returning his gaze to Yakou's face. "And you six will be the first to receive the treatment, as a reward for your good services. Then, I'll release the cure to the world to help all those other dogs."

Seto kept his muzzle shut, simply reaching out with a paw to place it in Yakou's hand, allowing the human to shake his paw before setting it back on the ground, sitting down carefully. "So what's the plan?"

"Well, I was looking for Atemu…"

"He was supposed to go get those papers that you want with Bakura, but we haven't seen him yet." Seto shrugged. "We visited the lab earlier tonight to free the dogs there as a distraction but we didn't see or smell that he had been there."

"Get your team together then." Seto blinked at the jovial tone of voice, a growl threatening to come out. He had just told the man that they didn't know where two of their team members were, three if they counted Ryou, and Yakou just blithely ordered them to go ahead. Seto wanted to shake his head in disbelieve, but just nodded, allowing Yakou to continue to issue orders. As long as he could return to normal, he would listen to the human. As soon as this deal was over with, he would run as far away as he could get. "Take them back to the lab and have them do a scan for anything Atemu might have missed, just in case he had to rush out. Then, I'll destroy the place."

"What?"

"I'll probably set it on fire or something." Yakkou shrugged before standing up, motioning at the jeep that he had brought with him. "I'll be there so you guys can get out safely. Then, we head back to headquarters."

Seto snarled then, abruptly cutting off the sound and shaking his head. "What about the humans we have been living with?"

"I'll speak with them as soon as we pull you guys out of here." Yakou opened the drivers side of the jeep and slid it, looking down at Seto. "If they actually read over the papers that came with your 'adoption' they would find that it gave me the right to pull you guys out at any time that I wanted. It shouldn't come as a shock. Now, let's get this done quickly."

Yakou turned on the jeep and drove off, leaving the husky sitting in the driveway. Seto slowly got to his feet, about to take a step in the direction that would lead him back into the city when he paused, glancing back at the house before quickly turning around and taking off at a run. He couldn't just rush off to gather everyone immediately, he had to say good-bye first, no matter how much he hated himself for this moment of weakness. He would hate himself more, even when he was a full dog again, for not saying good-bye to the two boys.

Seto bounded into the mansion, not bothering to look at the surprised staff, instead heading right up the stairs and toward the boys' rooms, his ears perking as he heard two voices coming from one. He made an awkward turn, slowing before he ran into the door. Seto tipped his head to the side before nudging the door open, walking into Mokuba's room. Both Mokuba and Noa looked up from their discussion, looking sheepish for being up at this hour. "Seto…"

He leapt up onto the bed, sitting on the covers and watching the two. He didn't want to back out of this bargain, it was only right for him to return the way he had been instead of a freak. And, after he had been fixed, there was nothing to stop him from coming back here. Seto lowered his gaze to the covers, glaring at the colorful design that was there. No matter what, he would _not_ forget about these two. He would come back.

"Seto?" He looked up as Mokuba scooted closer, tipping his head to the side when he saw that the boy was concerned.

"It's nothing. You two should be asleep."

"Noa had another nightmare."

Seto looked at Noa before nodding. "Alright then. Now, both of you, to bed. It's a school day tomorrow."

"Can't you stay?"

He hesitated, sorely tempted by the offer, but found the strength to refuse. "I have things to do."

The husky jumped off the bed, stretching before walking out of the room, pausing at the door as he heard Noa speak. "He's leaving. I can tell."

"No he's not. He promised us that he wouldn't."

"Don't believe me then." Seto looked back over his shoulder to see Noa roll himself up into his covers, Mokuba scooting to the other side of the bed and slipping under the covers. "But I know."

"I trust him."

"I wish I could."

Seto stared at them a moment more before taking off at a run, wanting to get out of the mansion as fast as possible. He growled as he ran through the halls, the staff scattering out of his way. He didn't want to have to deal with this. If he wasn't human, then he wouldn't have to worry about all this nonsense. And that was his goal, that was the thing that he had to keep thinking about. He couldn't let himself weaken just because two humans preferred him in this freakish hybrid state.

He charged out of the door, running easily towards the alley where Marik and Bakura were. It was closer to the mansion than Joey's house, so he would start there.

* * *

"So, Bakura, how'd it go?" Marik didn't look up as Bakura walked into the alley, frowning as he heard Bakura stop, realizing that he was speaking to a human. He glanced up, staring at Bakura before sitting up, his head tilted to the side. Not only was Bakura in his human form, something the white dog almost never did, but he looked confused. Marik gave himself a shake before standing up, walking towards Bakura, stopping when the human held out a hand.

"How'd what go?"

"You and Atemu…what we were running the distraction for…" Marik's eyes went wide as realization spread across Bakura's face. The human turned in the direction that the lab was with a curse, raking his hand through his hair. Marik growled, moving closer to Bakura before standing up on his hind legs, resting his paws on Bakura's chest.

"What did you do?"

"It wasn't my _fault_." He was shoved off, Bakura brushing off his shirt as he glared at the Vizla, Marik circling around him. "I went to tell Ryou as you told me to and thing went wrong."

"What sort of things?"

"Two of Ryou's adopted family got in a car crash." Marik stopped his circling, his eyes wide. He glanced back at the dark townhouse across the street before looking back at Bakura, the human beginning to pace. "He needed me, damn it, so I helped him out. And completely forgot about the other thing."

"But if you didn't go with Atemu…"

"He would be stupid enough to go in on his own." Bakura growled, quickly stripping of the loose clothes that he wore before changing back into a dog, sniffing the air. "Did you see him anywhere while you were working the distraction?"

"No. We caught his scent and Yugi's."

"Yugi? That pup he's always hanging around?" Bakura cursed again, turning to rush towards the way out of the alley, scrambling to a stop as Seto appeared around the corner, glancing with surprise at Bakura before looking at Marik, the Vizla quickly dropping his look of concern and putting on the blithe smile that he always had on around the others.

Seto gave them a long look before diverting his full attention to Marik. "You, go and get Joey, we're going back."

"Back where?" Bakura leaned back as Seto glared at him, meeting Seto's gaze the entire time.

"Gekkou's lab. We're finishing this once and for all. And then, we're getting out of here."

Marik made sure to keep his smile up, hiding his surprise. So he had been right about Yakou's plan; they were only here for a short amount of time and then they would be shifted somewhere else. He narrowed his eyes before looking away, not completely sure that he could trust Yakou with this. But there wasn't much that he could do, not with Seto and, probably, Joey backing Yakou. Especially with Atemu out of the loop.

The Vizla's eyes went wide for a moment, his head swinging towards where Atemu lived, slowly putting the pieces together. Atemu hadn't known that Bakura had been side-tracked, and he had taken Yugi with him, which meant that Atemu had a sort of back up. Marik scowled, looking back at Bakura before jerking his head in the direction he was going, taking off at a run. Bakura would cover for him, right now, he had to check and see if Atemu and Yugi were at their houses. Something in his gut was telling him that something was very wrong.

"Marik!"

"You get Joey!" He took off at a run, tearing out of the entrance to the alley, ignoring the shout from Seto. He turned immediately for the way that would take him to Atemu's house the fastest, something driving him onward. Even as he ran, his mind was spinning, trying to gather what facts he had together, cursing the fact that he hadn't gotten Malik to trust him by now. He didn't have a plan beyond that, leaving himself vunerable. He shook his head before barreling around the next corner.

Marik stumbled to a stop, his ears perking up as he saw two people wander past, freezing as he recognized their scent. He looked in the direction he had been running before deciding to follow the two people, sticking to the shadows as he slunk after them. Marik kept himself from revealing himself, no matter how impatient he was at the moment. Any kind of information was important at this moment.

"Have we checked everywhere?"

"Yes."

"But…but they could have doubled back…"

"Mana, it's getting late. We'll continue tomorrow." The elderly man sighed, shaking his head. "Hopefully they'll find their way back tonight. Tomorrow, we'll start talking to more people."

The teenager nodded slowly, looking around before sighing. "I just…I'm worried about him. He's like my brother. And if anything happens to him…"

"Mana, we'll find them. I promise." The elderly man rested a hand on her shoulder before gently leading her away, Marik slowing his pace to watch them go, hunkering down on the sidewalk.

So both Yugi and Atemu were missing, which meant that they had both been at the lab before. But both of them should have gone back to their homes once the mission was over, meaning that those two wouldn't have been looking for them at this time. Marik growled before turning again, hesitating for a moment before taking off in the direction of Malik's house. They were already short with Atemu missing, and he bet that Ryou wouldn't leave his family now, so he was going to have to recruit help. He only hoped that Malik would listen to him.

He panted as he ran through the dimly lit streets, claws clicking on the sidewalk as he forced himself faster, the feeling of something wrong twisting in his gut the longer he was away from the lab. He cursed whatever instinct this was, almost missing Malik's house entirely. He cursed and scrambled to make a turn, changing into his human form in the middle of his running. As a consequence, he slammed into the door, groaning in pain before pulling himself back, and knocking.

It was hard not to pound on the door, Marik biting his lip as he forced himself to obey the rules of the human world. It would be bad to disobey them now, it might lose him Malik's help. And he felt that he needed it now.

He looked up as the door opened, smiling sheepishly at the woman who answered the door. "Hello, is Malik there?"

"Malik?…Oh, you must be that dog…" She looked him over before calling back into the house. "Malik!"

Marik glanced down at the sound of jingling, not surprised to see that Malik was started by his sudden appearance. He didn't bother explaining things, he wasn't here to try and convince the other dog to let him live there. "We need your help. Atemu is missing along with Yugi. You remember Yugi?"

Malik's eyes widened before he nodded, slipping past the woman to look up at him. Marik nodded slowly. "You wanted to help him before, but the best chance is now. That scientist probably has him."

There was a growl from the dog, ending in a sharp bark as he bounded off the front porch, turning partially as he reached the sidewalk. "Come on!"

Marik turned and nodded at the woman, stopping when she reached out to grab hold of his arm. "Bring him back alive. He's family."

"Will do." He pulled himself away, rushing towards where Malik waited impatiently and shifting forms along the way. The two exchanged a glance before they took off down the sidewalk, Marik nudging Malik towards the lab. He was sure that the others would meet up there, until then, it was just a matter of forcing themselves to wait until the rest of the team got there. It would be stupid to go charging in on their own.

* * *

Joey glanced up as there was a knock on the door, getting up to stand by Serenity as she stood up as well, sticking close to her as she walked over to the door. He shifted into an optimal position to attack if the person if they meant to threaten Serenity. He bumped against her as a signal that he was ready, Serenity nodding before opening the door.

The golden retriever was taken aback as he saw Yakou standing there, wagging his tail before glancing up at Serenity. "It's alright, it's a friend."

"Hello, Joey and Serenity."

"Joey, is this…"

"Yes, I believe we met before when I allowed you the temporary ownership of Joey here."

"Temporary?" Joey growled, feeling Serenity grab a hold of him, he leaned close to the red-head. "She adopted me. She needs me!"

"I still hold ownership over you." Yakou sighed and shook his head. "And it will only be temporary. I am close to discovering a way to cure this ability to change that he has. I will return him to you as soon as that is done, I promise."

"But, what if he likes being like this?"

"A study that we are running shows that there are adverse mental effects if the dog remains in this state for too long. We want to prevent this, especially with Joey, he's doing a very important job." Joey looked up at the sincere look on Yakou's face before looking back at Serenity, watching her waver. He whimpered and pressed close to her, Serenity automatically scratching behind his ears.

"I wouldn't want to…but I've gotten used to him…"

"And I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but we're really close to this break through. It would be easier to take Joey now. You'll be without him for a month at the most. We want him to be safe."

"Joey?"

"If he thinks it is best." Joey smiled and wagged his tail, leaning into the caress before moving to the door, walking past Yakou to sit on the porch. "You just take care of yourself, Serenity."

She nodded, tucking her hair back behind her ears before waving to them both, Joey flinching as the door shut. He resisted the urge to whimper before looking up at Yakou, the man reaching down to pet him. "Don't worry, Joey, everything is going to be fine." He turned to walk back to the jeep, motioning for Joey to follow him. "We have one thing to do first. Atemu has some papers for me."

Joey smiled and bounded over to the jeep, jumping in when Yakou opened the door for him.

_

* * *

Please read and review. Constructive criticism is welcome._


	11. Chapter Ten

**Chapter Ten**

Ryou started at the knock on the door, lying in bed for a moment before wriggling out of bed and rushing down the stairs, not wanting Landon to worry about the door. The man needed his rest after today. Ryou could still handle the emotional roller coaster better and be able to function without a lot of sleep. Even with that thought, he yawned and scurried down the stairs, brushing his bangs out of his face before swinging open the door, surprised to see Yakou there.

He took a step back at the sight of the man, almost missing the dogs that were standing beside him. Ryou swallowed nervously, glancing down at the dogs that flanked Yakou, rubbing his arms to keep from whimpering in fear. He was used to Seto looking intimidating, but Joey was different. He was sure that the golden retriever didn't mean to, but it was still there. Ryou shook his head, forcing himself to focus, watching as Yakou smiled.

"Sorry about bothering you this late." Ryou tensed as Yakou looked around the interior of the house, holding back a growl. This man was close to invading his home, and his owners were incapacitated at the moment. It was his job to protect the house, his job to keep them all safe. Suddenly, Yakou was a threat when he hadn't been before.

Ryou took a better hold on the door, drawing himself up to his full height and carefully watching Yakou. He raised an eyebrow as the human took it as a signal to continue. "Atemu has found the things that I need to change you all back."

"What?" He tipped his head to the side, catching sight of Bakura as the white dog moved out from behind Yakou. Bakura looked shocked at something, Ryou narrowing his eyes at that before focusing on Yakou again. He would keep an eye on Bakura's reactions, he trusted the dog more than he trusted Yakou at this point.

"I personally asked Atemu to be on the look out for papers that would help with the reversal of this process. And he reported to me that he found them today and went in to get them." Ryou's gaze briefly darted over to Bakura, watching the dog start. He quickly looked back at Yakou, processing the information. If Bakura didn't know about it, Bakura who had snuck into that lab nearly every day since they got here, then it didn't exist. There was no way that Bakura hadn't covered that place from top to bottom. "So, all we have to do is destroy the lab and meet up with Atemu."

"What about my family here?"

"You were theirs temporarily." Ryou's eyes went wide at that, hearing a low growl from Bakura before shock made him lose track of his surroundings.

It was a lie. _This_ was his home and no where else. He liked this place and he liked who he was now. It had taken him the months that they had been here to figure that out, but he wasn't going back, not now. His hand tightened on the door, shivering a bit as he stared at Yakou. This man was trying to take it all away from him.

"So, are you ready to go?"

"No."

"What?" Yakou took a step back, Ryou ignoring the growl that Seto gave.

"I said no, I'm not going with you. I'm going to stay here."

"But you're not theirs. I can take you back anytime I want. You belong to me!"

"No. I belong to myself." Ryou glanced down, quickly slamming the door as Seto sprung, throwing himself against the door and scrambling for the lock. He slammed it home, panting as he heard Seto slam into the door. Ryou glanced around, staring at the door to the back yard, relaxing when he remembered that the back yard had a tall fence. All the windows would be shut and locked with the curtains over them, they had been about to go on vacation after all.

He swallowed nervously before turning in place, carefully pressing his ear against the door. Ryou swallowed before forcing himself to calm down, straining to hear anything that was going on. He wasn't sure what would happen that he denied Yakou, but he felt that it was the right thing to do, and he was going to stick with it. He growled to himself before moving away from the door, stripping his loose clothes off to be able to transform.

Ryou sunk to all four legs, growling at the door before snatching up his clothes and rushing upstairs. He paused long enough to drop his clothes in his room before rushing down the hall to where Landon was sleeping. He didn't know if Yakou would go after Amane and Victoria, but he trusted the hospital staff to at least stall them. If Yakou did manage to get them somehow, he could always think of a plan later. And he was sure that Bakura would help him with that. However, Landon was the only one in the house, the only one that he could protect at the moment, and he would work to keep Landon safe. Even if it meant following him around.

He raced into Landon's room, pausing long enough to see the human staring at him incredulously before leaping up onto the bed and curling at the end, staring fixedly at the hall. He would be able to hear and see anyone before they came up the stairs, and that would be enough time for him to attack. Ryou growled at that, settling down into his new position, jumping when Landon rested a hand on his back. "Ryou?"

"They tried to take me away."

"Who?"

"The ones who brought me here." Ryou snarled the words out, the hair on his back rising. "But I won't let them. I belong here. I'll protect you."

He heard Landon hum in confusion before sitting back, Ryou briefly looking back at him before setting down for the night, knowing that he was going to be worse off the next morning. But it was a small price to pay for the safety of his family.

* * *

Atemu smiled as he watched Yugi sleep, leaning over to lick the smaller dog, loving that Yugi leaned closer to him. He rested his head on Yugi's back, breathing in the scent of his mate. If they hadn't been in this situation, he would have allowed himself to enjoy this moment. But he had to figure out a way to get out.

Reluctantly, Atemu pulled away from Yugi and started to wander around the kennel, his motion restricted by the size of the metal cage. He sniffed at the joints carefully, checking for any weak spots that he could exploit. Atemu growled to himself as he found none, walking back over to the front of the kennel and staring out it. There was no way he could open the door, even if he shifted into his human form; which left them trapped here.

Yugi whimpered, squirming in his sleep. Atemu turned around to look at the smaller dog, a whimper catching in his throat. He had to get Yugi out of here before Gekkou came back. He didn't know what the scientist had done, and he didn't want Yugi to suffer more from it. If he could get them both out…

"Atemu." He scurried back to Yugi's side, the Shiba Inu cuddling up close to him. "Atemu, it hurts."

"What hurts?"

"Stomach…everything…" Yugi hadn't opened his eyes yet, just shifting closer to Atemu. "Hurts."

"You'll be alright, Yugi. We'll get you out of here."

"Atemu," Yugi finally opened his eyes, "what did they do to me?"

"I don't know, Yugi."

"What did they do to me?" Yugi was nearly sobbing at this point, pressing up as close as he could to Atemu. "I…I can't remember what they did, but it hurts. And I want to know! I'm scared, Atemu! I don't feel right."

"As soon as we get out of here, Yugi, we'll find out what happened, and we'll fix it." Atemu whimpered as Yugi shook his head, the Shiba Inu's purple eyes tearing up in pain. The Pharaoh Hound sighed, gently licking Yugi's muzzle. "It'll be alright, Yugi. I'm here."

"Atemu…"

"I'll take care of you, Yugi, I promise." He tensed at the sound of someone opening the door into the room that they were in, growling as he watched Gekkou walk in. Atemu stood up, ignoring Yugi's whispers for him to come back, standing over his mate and carefully watching the human as he walked closer to the kennel. He crouched low over Yugi, snarling as Gekkou reached to open the kennel.

The human hesitated for a moment before lowering his hand. "You'll have to let me in."

"You did this to him. Why would I let you in here?"

"If you don't he may die." Atemu froze at that, feeling Yugi bump into his leg. He glanced down at the Shiba Inu before shaking his head. The human sighed before rocking back onto his heels, staring at the two of them before resting his hand on the latch to open the kennel again. "I'll take care of him right where you can see me. I don't want to hurt him."

Atemu scoffed, shaking his head again. There was no way that he would allow Gekkou to get his hands on Yugi again. No matter how much the man pleaded, he couldn't trust him. He froze as he felt Yugi move again, turning to look at the Shiba Inu as Yugi tried to stand, wobbling dangerously before leaning against Atemu. The Pharaoh Hound stared at Yugi's glazed over eyes and his wide stance before turning back to Gekkou, his heart pounding quickly.

The fact that Yugi might die haunted him, making him unable to think around that block. He couldn't lose Yugi, the mere thought making him freeze up in fear. He was supposed to be keeping him safe, Atemu's own feelings for the little dog aside. He had promised that he would keep Yugi safe, promised himself and Yugi. If he failed in that then how was he sure that he could protect Mana and Akhnamkanon? He shook his head, trying to break out of the cycle of thought before a whimper from Yugi finally broke him.

"Only if you stay where I can see you."

"I promise." Atemu growled at the human's words, moving back as Gekkou opened the door of the kennel, forcing himself not to move as Gekkou gently removed Yugi from the kennel, looking over the little dog. Atemu smothered his growl at that, settling on staring at the man. There was one use for Gekkou, and this was it. And, if Yugi died, Atemu was going to rip the man's throat out.

"Easy there, it's alright." Atemu forced himself to stop from lunging forward at the words, rocking back in place as Gekkou looked at Yugi for a moment more before nodding, gently placing Yugi back into the kennel before shutting the door, Atemu mentally cursing himself for not taking the chance to escape.

But then…One look at Yugi showed that he wouldn't have gotten far. He would have had to carry the Shiba Inu out of the building, and he wouldn't have been able to fight like that. And there was no way that he was just abandoning Yugi to this place. Atemu bared his teeth, more as a gesture of annoyance than as a threat, since Gekkou was already leaving the room. From that motion alone, Atemu assumed that Yugi was fine.

He sighed and went to lie down next to Yugi again, trying to think of another plan to get out. His best bet seemed to be to wait until Raphael and the others were looking for more dogs, but that wouldn't be until the next night. And he didn't have any way of knowing when it was night or day. He huffed in frustration, blinking as he heard another whimper from Yugi, watching the small dog attempt to move. Atemu shook his head and gently nudged Yugi until he was lying back down. "Take it easy, Yugi. We don't know what he did to you."

"Why didn't you run?"

Atemu blinked. "What?"

"Why didn't you run? You could have." Yugi gasped as he shifted, sighing as he found a cold spot on the kennel floor to rest his stomach. The Shiba Inu panted for breath for a moment before looking up at Atemu again. "You had nothing between you and that door. Why didn't you run?"

"I…I couldn't leave you!"

"Yes you could have! You could have gone and gotten help!"

Atemu shook his head, curling tightly around Yugi. "I didn't want to. I didn't want to come back and find that you had died while I was away. All of this…all of this is my fault, Yugi. If I hadn't allowed you to come with me you…"

"Atemu, what would have happened to you? What would he have done to you if I wasn't here?" Atemu looked down at Yugi before shrugging.

"I don't know. I don't really want to think about it." The Pharaoh Hound sighed, his eyes shutting as he enjoying the presence of Yugi beside him. "All I want to know is if you will be safe."

"Atemu, we've know each other for a month maybe." He pulled back, Yugi glancing at him before looking away, shaking his head. "Sorry, that came out wrong."

"No. I understand. But, you mean that much to me already." Atemu licked his lips and looked at Yugi, noticing that the Shiba Inu looked as scared as he felt. He sighed and rested his head back on his paws, staring at the metal wall. "It's true."

"Atemu-"

"Isn't this romantic?" Atemu started at the familiar voice, turning his head and smiling as he saw the familiar human leaning against the wall inside the room.

"Bakura!" He felt Yugi shift by his side, the Shiba Inu glancing up at Bakura before breaking out into a smile. Atemu nudged Yugi to get him to move, slipping out from behind Yugi to stand at the front of the kennel. He tipped his head to the side, watching as Bakura moved from his place by the wall and padded over to open the kennel, Atemu frowning as the human glanced over his shoulder before lowering his voice to a whisper.

"Listen, Atemu, Marik says that your family is looking for you. And Yakou is-"

"We don't have time for chatter, let's go!" Atemu winced at Seto's growl, glancing at Bakura. For once, the human looked panicked, glancing back at Atemu and shaking his head. The Pharaoh Hound frowned, about to encourage Bakura to speak when he heard a yelp from the corridor. There was a loud thud, Atemu getting a glimpse of Marik staggering past the partially open door before Seto shoved his head in. "Move, Atemu!"

He reacted, turning around to grab Yugi by the scruff of his neck before rushing for the open door. Atemu thought he heard a growl from Bakura, forgetting about that as they charged into the hallway, Atemu watching as Joey, Marik and another dog held back Raphael, Valon and Dartz, shaking his head and rushing for the exit, Yugi curling into a tight ball to try and make himself less heavy to carry. Atemu briefly saw Seto fall in behind them, but he was too focused on reaching the open door, turning slightly to shoulder the door open and rush out into the night.

Atemu slowed down, gently setting Yugi on the ground and standing over him, panting. He turned his head to look at the other dogs who were rushing out of the building, frowning as he realized that Ryou wasn't with them. He snarled and looked back at Bakura, the white dog panting and trying to speak to him. Quickly running out of patience, Atemu snapped at Bakura. "Where is Ryou?"

"He wouldn't come." Seto was the one that answered, the husky walking around until he was standing in front of Atemu and glancing back at the building. "He thought that his family was more important than this. His loss. Did you get the papers?"

"Papers?"

"The things you went in there for?"

Atemu cursed, about to take a step away when he looked down at Yugi. He couldn't just leave Yugi out here alone. Being in pain, Yugi wouldn't be able to make it home tonight, he would probably take a long time for him to get home. And, in that time, he could get caught again. Atemu growled, looking up as the others on his team came racing out of the building, his gaze going to the unfamiliar dog. "You!"

The dog paused at the shout, looking affronted at the manner of address, but Atemu didn't care at the moment. He strode over, turning slightly to make sure that Yugi was still in his line of sight. "Listen, I need you to take Yugi home."

"Yugi?"

"Yes. I need you to make sure that he gets home alright. He can help you get there." The dog nodded and trotted over to Yugi, leaning over to speak with him. Atemu watched as Yugi perked up, some of the life returning to the Shiba Inu's eyes. Atemu sighed with relief before turning to look at Seto. "You said something about papers?"

"Yes." The word was snarled out. "The papers that you were supposed to get."

"Seto I-"

"Listen, Atemu, Yakou is ready to set that place on fire. Tell me that you have those papers." Atemu stared at Seto before glancing back at the building, letting out a curse as he smelled smoke. Those papers were still in there, useless to changing them back, but it would help for other things.

"I'll get them." He glanced back at Seto. "Get them back and make sure that Yugi gets home."

He took off at a run, hearing shouts from the rest of the group, but mostly focusing on the one that came from Yugi. "Atemu!"

Atemu flattened his ears against his head and charged into the building, coughing at the smoke that was billowing out from under one of the doors. He wrinkled his nose before running forward, knowing that he wouldn't be able to survive this atmosphere for long. He coughed as he ran towards the office, only looking up as he heard an enraged howl.

He only had a moment before he was slammed against the wall by Raphael, gasping as all the breath was knocked out of him. Atemu snarled and scrambled to push Raphael away, yelping as the dog pushed him harder against the wall. He tried to squirm away, jerking his neck away from the wild bite that Raphael made. The yellow dog snarled before pushing more of his weight against Atemu. "You ruined it!"

"Get off!"

"You ruined it! All of it! We almost had them all!"

"I said, get off!" Atemu scrambled away from Raphael, panting for breath in the smoke clogged corridor. He saw the dog give him a level look before rushing down the hall, Atemu pausing to look at him before turning around himself and charging to the office, snarling as he realized that he would have to change forms. Despite the protests of his sore muscles, Atemu went through the change, gasping and leaning on the door before shoving it open, stumbling into the office.

Part of him expected to see Gekkou scrambling to get the papers out, but the scientist wasn't there. Atemu tipped his head to the side before rushing over to the desk, quickly piling all the papers together, blinking as he stared at some folders that had been laid to one side. He frowned as he realized that they hadn't been there before, reaching out to touch them before shaking his head. He had to hurry if he wanted to get out of here alive.

Without much care, the stuffed the papers into the folders, gathering them up before turning and rushing out of the office. He would just stay as a human to get out of this death trap, it would just be easier. Then, he could see that they were all organized before they all headed back to their homes for the night and relaxed. With these papers, Yakou could perhaps figure out some things to stop further experiments by Gekkou. Maybe, at one of the other labs, they would find the notes for how to change them back to just being dogs.

Atemu came to a stop at that thought, drawing in a quick breath of hot air before he coughed, stumbling to lean against the nearest wall as support as his mind raced. What if, we he returned to being just a dog, he didn't love Yugi anymore? He didn't want the Shiba Inu around? His eyes widened at that thought, Atemu staring ahead as his thoughts continued to race.

What if he didn't care about Mana and Akhnamkanon after that? He was the one that Mana came to when she didn't want to speak to her father about something, not sure if he would understand. They were brother and sister and he would hate to lose that. That was as important to him as Yugi was, the two things that he didn't dare lose.

He took a shaky breath before pushing off the wall and slowly walking forward, his steps wobbling as he moved towards the door. The decision that he was reaching was surprising him, it was something that he would never have decided to do. But living here had changed him. Living as a _human_ had changed him. Atemu's fingers tightened around the folders as be began to jog towards the door.

He would tell Yakou that he wanted to stay like this. He would risk all the affects that would come with it. Anything just to stay with the ones that he loved and not to forget them. A smile crossed his face at that, Atemu giving a short laugh before refocusing on the task ahead of him. He had to get out of this building before it burned to the ground.

Atemu paused at the sound of a door opening, hesitating before turning around, his eyes widening at the sight of Raphael in his human form standing in the center of the hallway, a pistol in his hand. Atemu opened his mouth to speak, taking a step back and glancing over his shoulder at the door that led outside. He looked back at Raphael, swallowing nervously as he heard the gun's safety go off.

"Damn you Atemu."

The gun was fired, Atemu having a moment to realize what was happening to him before pain seared through his shoulder.

His body fell to the floor, the folders falling from his limp hand.

* * *

Marik shook his head as Atemu charged off, turning to stare at Malik and Yugi before walking over, grumbling under his breath. He stopped when he saw Bakura walking over, tipping his head to the side when he saw that the thief looked shaken. "What?"

"He doesn't know what's going on."

Marik cursed and sat heavily on the ground, snarling before shaking his head. Of course Atemu wouldn't slow down and listen to them, he would act first. Marik rolled his eyes before looking back at Malik, tipping his head to the side. "You heard Atemu, get Yugi home."

Malik looked surprised for a moment before he nodded, Marik surprised that the dog hadn't argued back. He watched as Malik picked Yugi up, straining a bit before trotting off in one direction. Marik shook his head, tensing at the sound of a gunshot.

"Atemu!" He was running into the building as Yugi screamed, glancing at Joey as he rushed in; the golden retriever right behind him. Marik was sure that he could hear Seto cursing, the Vizla pushing the sound away as he looked through the smoke filled corridor. He coughed before lunging forward, squinting to see through the smoke. Trying to sniff Atemu out in this place would be useless with the smoke.

He glanced over at Joey, the golden retriever stopping suddenly. Marik tipped his head to the side, only to stumble over something. He tumbled to the ground, hearing the thing grunt as he hit it. Marik scrambled to his feet, a smile crossing his face as he saw Atemu splayed out in the hallway. At least he was alive.

"He got the papers!" Marik looked up as Joey snatched up the folders, the golden retriever looking at Marik before dashing out of the building. The Vizla snarled, before glancing up and down the corridor. While Joey meant well, he doubted that he would be able to get Atemu out of here on his own. And definitely not as a dog.

Marik edged over to the wall, glancing around before shifting, reaching down to pull Atemu up. He paused at the scent of blood, staring at the wound in Atemu's shoulder. The wound was too high up to have hit anything vital, but Atemu would still be in pain. He shifted, slinging Atemu's good arm around his shoulders and slowly standing up, looking over at the leader of their group as he groaned. Marik made sure to smile as Atemu looked over at him. "Marik?"

"You're an idiot."

"Did he…"

"Joey has the papers. Why are you risking your life for them?" Marik was about to ask him more when Atemu slumped. He rolled his eyes and readjusted his hold on the human before beginning to walk slowly to the exit, nearly dragging Atemu behind him. He grimaced and glared at the door, jumping as surprise as something darted through, Bakura appearing out of the smoke in the next minute. Bakura glanced at him before grabbing Atemu's other side and helping Marik haul Atemu out of the building.

They stumbled out into the clear air, both of them coughing as they breathed in fresh air. Marik's eyes widened as he saw that neither Joey nor Seto were there, starting when Bakura kicked his foot. "They went to find Yakou."

"Joey just left me in there."

"Apparently he was going to go back after you." Bakura gave a half shrug. "At least, that's what he was repeating when Seto dragged him off."

"Huh." Marik coughed again and shook his head. "Let's just go."

"Where?"

Marik hesitated at that, glancing at Atemu before in the direction of the road where Yakou would be waiting. It would be so easy to just escape, but Yakou knew where all of them lived. If what Bakura had warned him of was true, then they wouldn't be safe here. But he wasn't going to just walk back into whatever Yakou was planning for them. He grumbled to himself before looking at Bakura. "Go back to Ryou."

"What?"

"We need to keep him alive. Just get back there and make sure that Yakou doesn't do anything to him…or Gekkou." Marik stepped to the side, shifting his hold on Atemu and jerking his head in one direction. "Get going."

Bakura nodded before shifting back into his normal form, bounding away into the night. Marik sighed and began stumbling towards where Yakou would be waiting, cursing the human with every step. Yakou should trust them enough to tell them what was going on. And he had no right to suddenly come and drag them away from their families, not that he and Bakura had much to say on that subject. But it was still all highly suspect.

He would go along with the rest of them, long enough to see what Yakou was up to and find a way to escape. Then, he would see if the rest of the team wanted to leave. If not, he would come back here himself and continue to try and convince Malik to let him in. It was the only way that he would ever escape Yakou.

Marik glanced up at a sudden flare of lights, hissing and lowering his head to block the glare. He heard shouts from the jeep, hearing someone jump out and rush towards them. Marik didn't look up to see who it was, still blinded by the lights from the car. But the person took the rest of Atemu's weight, helping him the short distance to the car before lifting Atemu in. Marik leaped in afterward, rubbing his eyes and glancing up at Yakou.

The human had turned partially around to stare at Atemu, his eyes wide. "What happened?"

"Someone shot him." Marik snapped the answer out, ignoring the glare from Seto in the passenger seat. "One of your traitors shot him while he was getting those papers for you."

Yakou looked shocked for a moment before he turned around and put the car in drive, Marik grabbing a hold of something as Yakou began to drive away. He grumbled to himself before looking back at Atemu, sighing and slumping back into his seat.

"Change." His head snapped back up to look at Yakou, only then realizing that Seto and Joey were in their dog forms. Marik shook his head, reaching down to steady Atemu as they sped away.

"You want him flying all over the place?" There was no answer, no questions about where Bakura was. Marik wanted to growl at that, keeping and steadying hand on Atemu as he looked out the window, watching the lights flash by. He had no idea how long they would travel before Yakou took them back to his compound. Until then, he would wait and plan. He was getting good at that.

* * *

"Ryou!" Bakura snarled and threw himself at the door again. He sighed before glancing around the house, knowing that Ryou would have locked all the doors and windows to keep from Yakou getting in. Even though he could have picked the lock on the door and just gotten in that way, he wanted Ryou to trust him. Going in that way, he would also appear to be on a mission from Yakou and he didn't want that. He gave himself a shake before rushing up to the door. "Ryou, let me in!"

He yelped as the door was suddenly yanked open, Bakura tumbling into the front hall. He blinked and looked up at Ryou, his tail wagging, flinching at the move and forcing himself to stop. Bakura grumbled and staggered to his feet, looking up at Ryou. "It's about time."

Bakura gave himself a shake and walked further into the house, watching as Ryou shut the door. He ignored the obvious look of confusion on the human's face as he began to prowl around the house, looking for anything that seemed out of place. He didn't know what Yakou would do to Ryou for not complying with the order.

"Bakura?"

"Not now, Ryou."

"What are you doing here?" Bakura glanced over his shoulder before lowering his muzzle back to the floor, yelping as he was suddenly picked up. He struggled in Ryou's arms, growling as Ryou stared at him. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to keep you safe."

"I can do that on my own."

"Not if Yakou sends a bunch of dogs after you." Bakura glared at him, smirking when Ryou looked away, the confidence in the human's gaze slowly disappearing. "I'm here to make sure that nothing happens, in case we need to run."

"Oh, so you're just doing this for the rest of the team?" Ryou snapped at him, Bakura scrambling to wedge himself close to Ryou as he felt that the human was about to drop him. "I'm your plan B if all goes wrong? Thanks."

"Listen!" Bakura growled out the word, Ryou stopping before gently setting Bakura back on the floor, kneeling down beside him.

"You've got my attention. Talk. If it isn't good…I'll…I'll throw you out."

"You wouldn't dare." Bakura glared at Ryou, surprised when there was no reaction, not even the usual flinch. He swallowed nervously before laying down on the floor, getting comfortable to hide his nervousness. He knew how to deal with the weak Ryou, but not this one. "Fine. Yakou went around and told the others that he had the papers that he could use to change us back to normal, the papers that I would have gotten with Atemu earlier if I hadn't been distracted."

He saw Ryou stiffen for a moment, regretting his choice of words before deciding to ignore it. The human leaned back, crossing his arms. "Then why didn't you go with them? You could have been 'fixed'."

"That's the problem. There was nothing like that in there!" Bakura snarled the words out, glaring down at the floor. "I've been through every room of that building carefully and there was no way I could have missed something like that; which means that he lying to the rest of them about being able to change them back."

"Then why did he try to take me away?"

"I don't know, Ryou!" Bakura snapped at the human, not caring about the look of hurt that passed over Ryou's face. He huffed and turned away. "I don't know why he's doing any of this. All of it. I'm just trying to survive!"

There was silence after his shout, Ryou glancing worriedly up at the second floor before looking at Bakura again. The dog waited to be reprimanded for his shout, surprised when Ryou just picked him up again. Bakura was about to protest, hating feeling so small and weak, when Ryou held him close, nearly curling around him as he held the white dog to his chest. Bakura tensed at the move, staring at Ryou's shirt before looking up at the human, eyes going wide as he saw that Ryou was crying. He whined to get Ryou's attention, wiggling until he could reach up and lick the tears from Ryou's cheek. "None of that."

"B-Bakura?"

"None of that." He repeated, shaking his head. "We're going to have to stand on our own now. No crying. I need you here with me."

"What?"

"I can't do this on my own." Bakura growled the words out, hating to admit it to himself. "I someone with me and it just happens to be you. Don't think on that too long though."

Ryou stared at him before smiling, Bakura yelping as Ryou pulled him into a hug. He scrambled at Ryou's shirt, trying to get the human to let go of him before slumping, allowing Ryou to do as he wished. Bakura sighed and snuggled close to Ryou, reminding himself to deny that any of this had happened later. It was nice to just find a place where he could relax and think.

His eyes opened as Ryou stood up, still holding him gently, and began walking upstairs. Bakura glanced up at the human before squirming out of his arms, managing to change before he hit the floor, reaching up to hold Ryou's shoulders. They stared at each other for a moment before Bakura shook his head, steering Ryou towards his room. "You need sleep."

"But, Landon-"

"They won't send anyone after you tonight. Yakou needs to get back and look over those papers, as much good as they will do him, and take care of Atemu. He's going to be busy."

"Atemu?" Ryou tried to stop, Bakura giving him a shove to keep him moving. "What happened to him?"

"Worry about yourself now and Atemu later. We have enough to think about without worrying about one idiot team leader." Bakura shoved Ryou into the bed, shifting him around until Ryou was under the covers again. He was about to leave when Ryou reached out, grabbing Bakura's hand and holding it.

"Don't leave."

Bakura hesitated for a moment before sighing, sitting himself down on the edge of the bed before nudging Ryou over, sliding under the covers and curling around Ryou. He heard the human whimper as he snuggled closer, Bakura heaving a sigh and holding him. "It'll be alright."

"I know. I trust you."

_

* * *

Please read and review. Constructive criticism is welcome._


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Chapter Eleven**

"Thanks Malik." He paused at the soft sound of Yugi's voice. Yugi hadn't spoken the entire way back to his house aside from the directions that he gave. And that had worried Malik because Yugi had seemed like an energetic dog from the one time that he had met him. Malik sighed and turned around, sitting on the ground and staring at Yugi.

"You're welcome." He got a nod as a response, watching as Yugi moved slightly and winced. The little dog still looked like he was in a lot of pain from whatever had been done to him. The only clue was the neat line of stitches on his stomach, and that didn't tell Malik anything. He shook his head, glancing in the direction of his home before looking back at Yugi. "Should I-"

"Do you think he's alright?" Yugi's eyes widened as he spoke, the Shiba Inu looking down at the sidewalk under his paws. Malik tilted his head to the side, lowering himself slightly so he could be at eye level with Yugi. The little dog blinked at him before ducking his head again. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

"Go ahead."

"Do you think that Atemu is alright? Do you think he's…" Yugi choked on the word, shaking his head before looking up at Malik. "Do you think that I'm wrong?"

"What?"

"I'm wrong because I-I might love Atemu." He looked away from Malik, the dog huffing and scrambling around to meet Yugi's gaze again. The Shiba Inu swallowed nervously. "But he's a guy and…and it's not right for us. Right?"

"Yugi, I don't think the normal rules apply here." Malik tipped his head. "We're not exactly normal ourselves. Just worry about if you are happy, that's the only thing that you can do." He ignored the tiny voice in his mind that was whispering that he should follow his own advice. "The rest of the world will just have to deal with it."

"Thanks Malik." Yugi's smile was back, Malik finding himself returning it. He wagged his tail for a moment before going to scratch at the door, waiting a moment before giving a loud bark, chuckling to himself as he heard someone shout from inside. Malik nodded to himself before turning back to look at Yugi.

"You'll be fine, Yugi and so will Atemu. He's got you to come back to after all." Malik was sure that, if Yugi was human, he would have blushed at that statement. Malik chuckled to himself before turning to look at the door, stepping back as Solomon opened it. He slunk back to the shadows as the elderly man gasped and knelt on the ground. Yugi ambled over to him, cuddling up to his owner. Malik caught a nod of thanks from the small dog before Solomon shut the door.

He sighed before turning back for his home, jogging easily down the sidewalk, tuning out the sound of his jingling collar. Mentally, he reminded himself to check up on Yugi more, already liking the little dog. Yugi was refreshing, someone that he didn't have to protect, someone that he could just talk to. Someone, who wasn't Marik, in the same situation that he was in. Malik flinched at the thought of Marik, not knowing what else to do

Marik was annoying, persistent and not entirely sane. But, he was good company, in his own strange way. Malik sighed and rolled his eyes. He knew he had gotten lonely around the house while Ishizu and Mahad were out at work, but he had never thought that it would be lonely enough to be calling an insane dog good company. Still, the talks were interesting to say the least and not a bit informative, they had never talked about themselves. And this was the dog that Ishizu wanted to invite in.

He huffed in annoyance, not understanding the logic of his owner. Of course, he would trust her, a throwback from the days that she was the only one that he could trust, but that didn't mean that he understood her logic. Why would he want to invite Marik to basically live with them when all they were doing was talking on the front porch? Malik suddenly stopped, his eyes widening as he realized something.

Ishizu and Mahad had spent hours talking when they first met, even before they got married. So had all the other couples that Ishizu knew, meaning that this was a normal thing. Malik flinched at the idea, shaking his head. He didn't want whatever he and Marik did to be normal because it didn't feel normal. It was strange and confusing. It left him both wishing that he had never agreed to talk to Marik and looking forward to their sessions.

He groaned and dropped his head, giving himself a harsh shake before beginning to sprint. But, he could still think and run. He just wanted to stop the thoughts and where they were pointing. He didn't want that. Or, that's what he kept telling himself. Malik snarled, turning a corner almost too fast, stumbling to an awkward stop to keep from running into a mailbox. Malik glared at the metal box before slinking away, grumbling under his breath.

He didn't want to be thinking about this right now, he just wanted to get home and rest. He didn't want to have to think about where his loyalties lay or how he thought about Marik, even though one worry had been pushed away. He no longer had to care if he was the only one who looked at other males like that, there was Yugi. Perhaps they could talk about it and figure out what was going on; or not. Yugi seemed perfectly content to love Atemu.

Malik stopped long enough to look back towards Yugi's house before sighing. If he promised Yugi that he didn't think that the dog was wrong because he loved Atemu, he couldn't consider himself wrong for liking Marik. And that got rid of part of his problem. Malik huffed and glared at the sidewalk. He didn't want to admit that, more comfortable with not knowing how to deal with Marik than thinking that he liked the other dog.

Still, they were always together. And Marik probably would…

He whimpered, the sound slipping out before he could stop it. Marik was going back to where he had come from, leaving him for good. Now he couldn't pretend to be annoyed with the dog or any of the other tricks he had used, more to keep himself from thinking than anything else. Malik heaved a sigh, glancing up to check the direction that he was heading in before adjusting his way slightly before ducking his head again.

* * *

"Mana?" The teenager glanced up as her father called for her, sighing as she stripped off her coat and hung it up. Mana stared at the coat before wiping her eyes, trying to get all the traces of tears from her face. Akhnamkanon would ask about it if he saw it, and Mana didn't want to have to explain to her father why she had been crying. She just didn't want to speak about it right now, wrapping her arms around herself.

He had promised her that he wouldn't leave. He had promised her that. And then Atemu had just left. And it hurt.

Mana sighed and trudged towards the stairs, freezing at the base of the stairwell as she heard her father walk out of the kitchen, staring at Akhnamkanon as he looked at her. In that moment, she knew that she wouldn't get to escape, her hand dropping from the banister. Mana stared at the floor, turning around to face her father despite the fact that he had not called her yet. "Mana?"

"I was out…looking for Atemu, with Solomon. We couldn't find him." Mana shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans. "I'm tired, Dad. I just want to go to bed."

"Mana, Yakou came by." She paused as she went to climb the stairs again, frowning as she tried to remember the man. At a loss, Mana turned around to look at her father, raising an eyebrow when he didn't answer. Akhnamkanon looked at her before cursing and leaning against the nearest wall, looking completely defeated. "He tricked us, Mana."

"What?"

"Those papers, somewhere on there, was a loophole. He came by the house earlier saying that he had Atemu and that it was his right to take Atemu back whenever he wanted."

"No! He's ours!" Mana took a step forward, gasping a clamping a hand over her mouth and shaking her head. She hadn't meant for it to come out like that, like Atemu was just a thing. But it wasn't fair. Mana sighed, dropping her hand from her mouth. "He's a part of this family! He belongs here! He's ours."

She was pulled into a hug, Akhnamkanon sighing and holding her close. "I know, sweatheart, I know."

"It's not fair. He was happy here. I was…I was happy." Mana broke down into sobs, clinging to her father. Akhnamkanon continued to hold her, rocking slightly as Mana cried against him. She kept repeating herself, finding that she couldn't stop herself. There was some drive to explain why she felt like this, that she had to explain herself to her father because Atemu wasn't around.

Atemu had listened to her when she had finally broken down one day, he had been there for her when the world had become too much. Atemu had been the one to hold her when she cried and just listen, the only one that had ever just listened and not tried to convince her otherwise. After years of listening to people interrupt her and tell her that it wasn't her fault that her mother had left, it had been good to have one person just accept her side of the story. Honestly, Mana had felt better after that, better than she had in years.

Of course that she didn't believe that, but there would always be this tiny doubt in her mind, the one doubt that would keep plaguing her for the rest of her life. It was stupid and annoying, but Mana had lived with it all her life. It was something that she was used to, although that she didn't have to be.

"It's not your fault, Mana." She looked up at her father as he spoke, realizing that she had been voicing her thoughts. Akhnamkanon smiled before wiping the tears from her cheeks and leading her over to the couch. Mana immediately curled up against him as he sat down. "None of it was ever your fault."

"I know but…" Mana brushed her hair out of her eyes, trying to wipe away more tears. "She still wouldn't have left if-"

"Stop it." Her father's stern voice startled her, Mana jumping and looking back up at him. Akhnamkanon sighed and pulled her into a hug, remaining silent for a long while. Mana swallowed and stared at the wall, her eyes automatically moving to the pictures that hung there. There were only two faces smiling back at her, her father's and her own. Nothing of her mother was left in the house, not after the woman had left. She swallowed and looked down at the ground, not wanting that reminder.

After a long while, Akhnamkanon spoke again. "It was not your fault that your mother left. If anything, it was mine. She didn't want to move here, didn't want to give up her old life and I made her."

"That's no reason to leave."

"It was enough for her."

Mana sighed, sniffling as she calmed down. She found herself staring at the pictures again, wondering why they had never bothered to bring out the camera when Atemu had been around. He had been a part of their family and they had just let him pass by without anything to remember him by. Mana guessed that they had thought that they would have had more time with him.

"Did Yakou take Atemu away?" Mana looked back at her father. "Is that why he was missing earlier today?"

Akhnamkanon frowned. "He said he already had Atemu."

"But it isn't fair!" She pouted for a moment before looking up at him, a crazy plan forming. "We could steal him back."

"Mana."

"It's perfect! He'll never know!" She smiled. "We'll just sneak in, grab him and go."

"Mana." She turned to look back at her father, slumping as Akhnamkanon shook his head. "We can't. He probably has legal teams and we can't afford to get into that kind of fight."

She stared at her father for a moment before slumping. "So what do we do?"

"I still have those papers." Akhnamkanon ran a hand through his hair, tipping his head back to look at the ceiling. "While I'm sure that they were completely legal, I'll look over them. Maybe there is something that I missed that we can use to get Atemu back."

Mana smiled, Akhnamkanon glancing back at her and making a shooing motion. "Off to bed with you, young lady. You have school tomorrow."

She laughed and bounded up the stairs, pausing as she spotted the door to Atemu's room slightly open. The good mood that had started to form disappeared, Mana biting her lip before quickly moving into her room. It seemed that all she could do now was wait. Mana groaned and flopped backward onto her bed, peeling off her socks before rolling herself into her blanket, not bothering to change out of her clothes. She glanced back towards her door, staring down the hall to where Atemu's room would be.

"Stay safe, Atemu."

* * *

Gekkou stared at the smoldering remains of his lab, glancing towards the main space of the park before looking back at the rubble. He knew that all the dogs had gotten out, he had seen them as they had rushed away. So that was one thing off his conscious.

He ran a hand through his hair, not caring that the move streaked ash through his hair. He didn't understand how this could have happened. Everything that could have started a fire had always been checked over by him personally, there were some things that he didn't trust his volunteer security with, and there had been nothing wrong with them. Besides, the very act of checking over things had been just before the fire started. The lab had gone up in flames while he was visiting the garage/storage room, which meant that it had been set purposefully.

Gekkou's hand dropped to his side as he stared at what had once been his pride and joy. There was only one person who would want to do this to him, Yakou. He cursed and began to pace up the side of the rubble. Why did his brother hate him so much? Didn't he see that what he was doing was important to the world, important to him? They had once been close, the best of friends. What had happened to that?

He let out another string of curses before slumping to the ground with a long sigh. He could always rebuild and begin his calculations again, it was just a matter of working hard. But what was the point if Yakou would just do this to him again? This was the second time he had been expelled from his lab, and it probably wouldn't be the last, not unless he figured out a better place to hide. And he, more that anyone knew that it was nearly impossible to hide from Yakou.

Besides, Yakou had the dogs on his side.

That thought encouraged another curse from Gekkou. Those dogs would be able to find him, they could track him through scent and the talk of the people, but he would never be able to find them. He knew what they looked like as canines, but never as humans, they were too careful for that. He had thought that taking in some volunteers as his security staff would help with that, but they had turned out to be grossly incompetent.

He shoved his hands into his pockets, pondering what to do. He stopped as his fingers brushed over something metal, blinking in confusion before he pulled out two collars, staring at them as the metal glinted in the moonlight. Gekkou absently ran his fingers over the leather bands before examining the tags. Aside from the bright orange tag, designating that the two dogs were part of the experimental group, there were the usual tags denoting that they had gotten their shots.

Gekkou frowned at that. Valon had been carrying around these collars soon after the two volunteers had shown up. While Gekkou was willing to give Valon the benefit of the doubt, the recent arson of his lab left him feeling suspicious. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to entertain another theory. And, it might lead to him getting the small Shiba Inu back. He wanted to keep that dog under surveillance until the puppies were ready to be born, just for the safety of the parent.

But that was all in the future. For now, he was entertaining theories.

First of all, the smallest collar had to have come from the Shiba Inu which meant, if the theory was correct, that he could just follow the address on the collar to the dog. The same idea applied to the second collar, which meant that he could find the father of the puppies in the same manner. Gekkou frowned as he came to his second conclusion, that neither of the dogs had escaped from Yakou. They might have before, but certainly not when Raphael and Valon had brought them in. The collars suggested that they had lived with families for a while and that did not explain why they had come to him to volunteer. Most of the dogs that escaped Yakou and were brought to him were looking for new homes in exchange for their support.

All of this led to one thing, that he had been lied to. Either someone had heard that he was looking for dogs to volunteer for his experiments and had tricked Raphael and Valon into believing that these two dogs had escaped or he had been tricked by his security staff. The latter one was something that he didn't want to contemplate, but he knew that there was no one who would steal dogs just to offer them to him, he didn't pay anyone money for their services and the authorities knew all about him. It was the money from his clients who wanted his research that kept him afloat and barely hidden. With his lab burnt down, it was likely that his support from that end would fail quickly.

Gekkou stood up, tucking the collars in his pocket and walking away from his lab. He had stayed here too long already, the police were likely to come after him. He glanced over his shoulder with a long sigh before stepping into the trees, freezing when he realized something. He hadn't seen his security staff since Valon had left the surgery room and that was highly suspicious. His hand went back into his pocket to play with the collars in there before he came to a decision.

Even if it was just a theory, it wouldn't hurt to look in on it, not with circumstances being what they were. Gekkou scratched his chin and pulled out one of the collars, staring at the one that he assumed had gone with the Pharaoh Hound. He would start there. Maybe the owners would have something to tell him about their dog and what had happened to him. He turned away, walking deeper into the woods as he played with the collar in one hand.

Gekkou slowed down as he heard the sound of something moving through the undergrowth, his hand tightening around the collar as he stared into the dark trees. He relaxed a moment later as an Australian Shepherd bounded into sight, the white fur on its front the only thing visible in the dark. "Valon?"

"Yes." The dog panted for a moment before sitting down, absently scratching at his ear.

"Where are the others?" The movement stopped, Gekkou narrowing his eyes as he watched Valon slowly place his hind foot on the ground. It was looking like the idea he had entertained as theory only was very likely to be true. He glared at the dog before kneeling in front of him, Valon pressing himself to the ground with a whimper. "Where are they?"

"Ran off!" Valon yelped the words out, trying to scramble backwards. "They've done their part and run off."

"Done their part?"

Valon looked uncomfortable for a moment before looking up at Gekkou. "I could have gone too, but I stayed behind. But…if I show you this, then I can't go back." He growled and stood up. "You have to promise me that I'll be safe."

"Sure."

"And I won't do it for free."

"Valon…"

"I won't. I want what they've got, 'cause this is nothing like it sounded." Gekkou stared at the dog, wondering if they were even talking about the same thing. Valon returned his stare before giving an annoyed sigh. "I want a place to live, even if it's in some back alleyway, doing this job isn't worth my time."

"I'll do you one better, I'll take you in."

"What?" Valon jerked his head up to look at the scientist, looking Gekkou up and down for a moment. "You'll do what?"

"You'll be my dog and I'll keep you safe." Gekkou paused for a moment, watching as Valon seemed to consider the deal. He wanted to shout at the dog, but kept his temper in check. "You know I don't experiment on sentient beings without their permission and only when it is safe."

"Yeah?" Valon scratched at his ear again, seeming to consider the idea for a moment before nodding. "I don't see the harm in it. Come on." The dog stood up, glancing over his shoulder before jerking his head. "Follow me."

Gekkou stood up and followed Valon through the forest, tucking the two collars further into his pocket and listening to the dog as he continued to speak in a low voice. "They haven't gotten to this place yet, have too much on their hands. Besides, Dartz is in charge of getting us back, and they'll be too busy fighting among themselves to notice that I'm gone. Raphael is probably going to get a talking to for shooting Atemu, and that will keep them away from this place for a while."

"What do you mean shooting Atemu?" He scrambled to pull the collar out of his pocket, checking the name on the tag before resting a hand on Valon's back to keep the dog from moving, showing him the collar. "This Atemu?"

Valon glanced at the collar, squinting at the tag momentarily before shaking his head. "I'll tell you when we get there."

Gekkou shoved the collar back into his pocket and scrambled to catch up with the dog, tensing the further they went into the small forest. He knew that they couldn't go far without leaving the trees, but he wondering just what Valon was leading him into, or if the dog was leading him into a trap. He cursed his trust of the dog for a moment, the notion to run dying as Valon came to a stop, the dog pawing at a place in the ground before looking back up at Gekkou. "It's here."

Deciding that his questions could wait for a while, Gekkou walked over to the patch of ground that Valon had indicated, finding a rope there and tugging at it. His eyes widened as a piece of ground lifted, tipping his head to the side before slipping into the space, clambering down the ladder and reaching for the lights. Gekkou closed his eyes as the lights flickered on, opening them a moment later and staring at the long hall. He glanced up at Valon before beginning to walk down the hall, aware of how much trust he was putting in the dog.

He heard scrambling from behind him and a muffled curse before the sound of claws against tile echoed in the small hallway, Gekkou reaching out to open the door at the end of the hallway. He peered in cautiously at first before opening the door completely and walking into what looked like a control booth, his mouth dropping open as he recognized what he was seeing.

Beyond the control room, accessible by a small door, was an empty room with a post in the middle, a length of chain attached to it. He scowled and scanned the controls, recognizing them immediately, he had manned them enough to know. But this place was impossible, it wasn't supposed to exist anymore. There had been orders that all of these places were to be found and demolished. Apparently, it had just been rebuilt again, and so close to his lab. He cursed and pushed away from the bank of controls, shaking his head.

Now that he had seen the radiation chamber, it was so obvious. There had been dogs, all of them able to change shape, and he had just assumed that they had escaped. Apparently, it had been too much of a coincidence. He heaved a sigh and flopped down in the chair that was there, noting the tracks of mud on the floor and the dog hair that was scattered around. He frowned and slipped out of the chair, staring at the hair on the ground.

"I told Raphael not to go back in but, apparently, Atemu had annoyed him for too long." Gekkou turned his head slightly to look at the dog that was sitting just inside the room. "To tell the truth, all of them were annoying. But Raphael wanted to get Atemu badly; said it was for betraying his kind by being with that other dog. Still, it was no reason for doing that, we had our orders."

"What orders?"

Valon shifted nervously, glancing back out into the hallway. "We were told to keep you safe and to keep them busy while they were here. Then, we were told to head out as soon as possible. Raphael didn't have to _shoot_ Atemu to get out of there, it was petty revenge; a human thing."

"You are part human."

Valon swallowed nervously. "Well…we were told that it was bad to act like humans, that it would corrupt us or something." Valon gave himself a shake. "I guess I don't have to listen to that nonsense anymore since I'm defecting."

"What?" Gekkou absently reached under the console for something that he had spotted, his hands closing over a tuft of hair and pulling it out as Valon spoke. "I thought you already did."

"Well…not as such." The scientist glanced back at the Australian Shepherd, Valon looking sheepishly at the floor before he glanced back at the fur in his hand. He recognized the color, glaring at it before throwing it to the side. Raphael had been here, and he could see evidence that Alastair and Dartz was here, which meant that Valon had been in here too at one point.

Gekkou stood up and brushed the dirt off the knees of his pants, pulling out the collar to study the address on it. He squinted at the small writing before holding out the collar to Valon. "Can you help me track him down?"

"Well, I'm no hunting dog, but I could try." Valon sniffed at the collar. "I could probably get you to the right neighborhood, but that's all I could promise."

"That will be enough." Gekkou got to his feet, allowing Valon to go first and tear off down the corridor, the dog shifting into a human form to climb up the ladder before shifting back. The scientist followed him, carefully shutting the trapdoor before looking at the space on the ground. "We'll need this for evidence."

"There's no guarantee that it can be guarded." Valon tipped his head to the side.

"I'll get pictures, just in case my brother decides to move." The Australian Shepherd gave a nod before trotting off in one direction, Gekkou shoving the collar back into his pocket and walking quickly to catch up. Hopefully, they could get to the bottom of this soon. The sooner this was done, the sooner he could focus on his experiments, especially the one that was germinating inside that Shiba Inu.

* * *

Akhnamkanon looked up from the stack of papers at the sound of a knock on the font door. He hesitated for a moment before standing up, pushing the papers to one side and walking down the hall. It was a welcome break from searching over the papers that he had been given when they had first adopted Atemu to find a way to bring him back without expensive legal action. So far, he had no luck, just heart breaking disappointments. He rubbed a hand over his tired eyes before opening the door, his mouth dropping open as he stared at the man at the door.

At first glance, he thought this man to be Yakou Tenma, the one who had taken Atemu away from them, but the longer he stared at the person, the more he was sure that this was not Yakou. For one, this one seemed saner. Akhnamkanon shook his head. "Yes?"

"I have come to return something to you." There was a soft jingle as the man produced a familiar collar, _Atemu's _collar. Akhnamkanon's eyes went wide as he stared at it, automatically reaching out to take it. The man dropped the collar into his hands, nervously tucking his own back into his pockets. "And to apologize for what my brother has done. If there is any way to help…"

"I want Atemu back."

The man slumped at that, rubbing the back of his neck. He glanced to the side before giving a long sigh. "I'm looking into it, but I can't promise results. I'm sorry."

Akhnamkanon forced himself to shrug, put it off as something that wasn't of importance. "At least that is something."

"I have to make up for my presence in this city first and what it has done accidentally, but I will not forget about you." The man nodded, tapping his chin and walking away. He abruptly turned back, the white coat that he wore billowing around him. "If there is any news, I will tell you. Come Valon."

Akhnamkanon blinked as a red and white dog bounded out of the shadows and fell into step beside the man, the two of them seeming to talk for a moment before they turned the corner. Akhnamkanon leaned out of the door to watch them before shaking his head and closing the door. While it wasn't a definite source of help, it was someone who cared, which was better than just him and Mana stumbling along and trying to figure this out on their own.

* * *

Solomon forced himself not to pace the floor of the vet's office, suddenly full of nervous energy. He had brought Yugi in about two hours ago, just as the office was opening up. But he had spent the night watching his dog, staring at the row of stitches on Yugi's stomach. They were new, he knew that much, and the skin around them was still tender to the touch. There had been a couple of times during the night that Yugi had twitched in his sleep, Solomon reaching down to touch him only to have Yugi's skin hot to the touch. He had done the best he could with cold towels, but he was forced to just wait until the vet's office had opened. That hadn't stopped him from setting up an appointment early in the morning, Solomon hating himself now for the delay.

Any time during the night he could have lost Yugi completely. He had spent a few hours looking over websites, trying to find out what had happened to his dog, and he had scared himself with that. There were so many diseases that could kill Yugi in a matter of hours, and he would never know before it was far too late. Solomon felt his hand twitch on his lap at the thought. The nearest emergency veterinary center was four hours away, too far away when he had called his usual vet at seven in the morning. They had even let him in an hour early to figure out what was wrong with his dog.

"Solomon Mutou?" He looked up as his name was called, standing up and venturing towards the vet tech that had called him, noticing the confused look on the woman's face. He was motioned into the room, glancing over at Yugi. The Shiba Inu looked up sleepily, wagging his tail before resting his head on his paws and dozing off again, Solomon moving over to pet Yugi. The vet tech turned around to look at them, giving Solomon a calming smile. "We just used a mild sedative on him, just to be sure that he wouldn't do anything. We know it's Yugi, but it's standard procedure."

He nodded, glancing at his dog before looking at the vet tech, about to speak when the vet himself walked in, looking equally as confused and troubled. He glanced up at Solomon and gave a wave, staring at the papers in his hand and shaking his head, shifting through them. The vet seemed to take his time, shifting through the papers before finally tucking the clipboard under his arm and looking at Solomon, shifting nervously. "I don't know how to say this…"

Solomon's eyes widened and he leaned on the table for support. He knew how news that started out like this turned out. It would always end in death and he wasn't ready to lose Yugi. The little dog was all he had, the only one who brightened up his life. And he was so young… "H-how long?"

"Hm?" The vet looked up from his papers again, staring at Solomon before shaking his head and placing the clipboard on the nearest flat surface. "Oh no, nothing that bad…or it might be, depends on how you want to take it."

He stared at the vet as the man leaned against the counter and stared up at the ceiling, obviously trying to piece something together. "We've tested and retested and done everything imaginable, but I'm afraid we're right about this. There's no other option to explain what's going on." The vet ran a hand over his face before looking at Solomon. "Yugi is pregnant."

"What?" Solomon glanced back at his dozing dog before looking back at the vet. "But…but Yugi is a boy. I have his papers…This isn't possible!"

"It…it is." The vet mouthed something before shaking his head, finally staring at the papers. "To put it simply, someone put a uterus in him, a fully functional one. It's doing its job and the puppies are developing normally from what we can tell in these early stages. If it wasn't for the fact that Yugi is a male, it would be normal."

That explained the row of stitches on Yugi's stomach, but Solomon was unable to think beyond that, his thoughts rushing around in the same circle. Someone had stolen his dog and experimented on him again, and it was just as bad as the last time. He wanted to reach out and hold Yugi close, in case Yugi would disappear from him again, crossing his arms to hold back that urge. "So…what do I do now?"

The vet sighed again, staring up at the ceiling for a moment before speaking slowly. "I don't want to have to remove the uterus, not without knowing how it would affect him. It was risky enough putting it in there in the first place. If you want, we could try to remove it-"

"But that would kill the puppies."

"Yes." The word was spoken after a pause, the vet looking back at him. "And the second option is to just let him come to term. From what we could see of it, there would be no other way for the puppies to actually be born without removing them via the stomach…like a C-section. And for that, he'll have to be in here." The vet shrugged. "It's up to you, Solomon."

He bit his lip and turned to look at Yugi, gently rubbing behind one of the Shiba Inu's ears. Deep down, he knew he couldn't live with the knowledge that he had killed the puppies and the surgery to remove the uterus was risky enough…He didn't want to lose Yugi, that was the biggest factor in his decision. And, the safest way was to let Yugi carry the puppies to term. He would figure out what to do with the puppies after they were born, although he had the sneaking suspicion that he would end up keeping most or all of them.

Solomon sighed and nodded. "Second option."

The vet sighed, seeming to relax with his choice. "Alright, Solomon, we'll keep in touch. Keep a close watch on Yugi and call if you need anything."

"Thank you." Solomon gathered up Yugi, watching as the little dog shifted in the blankets. He gave a nod to the vet and vet tech before walking out of the room and back towards his shop. It was only a few blocks away, a nice walk if he didn't have to worry about Yugi the entire time. And the little dog was the only thing in his thoughts.

"What's wrong with me?" He started slightly at the sleepy question from the dog in his arms, watching as Yugi blinked up at him. Solomon smiled and stroked Yugi.

"Somehow, you're pregnant."

"Hm?"

"You're going to have puppies."

Yugi's eyes widened at that and he tried to growl, managing only to yawn. "Gekkou. He got us somehow."

"Us?"

"Atemu and me." Yugi yawned again. "Did something to us."

Solomon frowned at that, shifting Yugi in his arms. This madman had to be stopped before more dogs were harmed, and he would keep Yugi inside in case Gekkou came after him. Atemu and the others had probably freed Yugi and brought him back, but that wouldn't stop Gekkou from trying again.

"Atemu's the father."

"Hm?"

Yugi looked up at him with a happy smile. "I know Atemu is the father. Gekkou did something to him before me and we were kept together. It makes sense." The Shiba Inu yawned again, falling asleep this time, lulled by the walk back to his home, Solomon smiling down at his dog.

The phone was ringing when he walked into the shop, Solomon frowning and setting Yugi down on the ground, the Shiba Inu just finding a more comfortable place in the blankets before drifting off to sleep again, Solomon keeping a careful eye on his dog. "Hello, Kame Game Shop."

"Solomon!"

"Mana?"

"I've been trying to get you all morning." Mana gave a breathless laugh. "Where were you?"

"At the vet's office."

"Is something wrong with Yugi?"

Solomon looked back at the sleeping dog, tilting his head to the side. "That's a story."

"I see." He heard Mana's voice tremble as she spoke, Solomon looking away from Yugi.

"What's wrong?"

"What's... Everything." He heard her sigh from the other end of the line. "Yakou took Atemu away from us. He came by and said that he wasn't ours anymore and took him away. The bastard even had him before he told us."

Solomon blinked at that, glancing back at Yugi. "But Yugi said that he and Atemu were together. Gekkou had them."

"Gekkou stopped by last night and said that he would help find Atemu...Solomon, who do we believe?"

He didn't answer, staring at the blank wall of his kitchen.

* * *

"Atemu?" He groaned at the load voice, trying to turn his head to find a quieter place, but the motion made his chest hurt. He whimpered, baring his teeth for a moment before relaxing. Something hurt, a lot, and his head was too fuzzy for him to remember what it was. He shifted slightly, finding a comfortable spot that didn't stretch the wound and settled down, panting a bit with the move. Whatever he did, it was still painful.

And then, there was that voice again. "Atemu?"

"Go away."

"Oh, he's fine." Atemu smiled at the sound of Joey's voice, frowning a moment later. The last thing that he remembered was cuddling with Yugi, although it was hazy whether they were in the warehouse or in the kennel. If he was still at the former, then he should be angry at Joey for interrupting him; but something told him that he wasn't there. Atemu grunted and tried to push himself up from his position on the ground, feeling a paw land on his back.

"Atemu- pack leader should stay down, yes? Was slow. Got hit." Atemu blinked open his eyes, staring at the two who were looking down at him before looking out to where Seto was standing, the husky pretending to be uninterested.

"I can move, Marik."

"Marik thinks Atemu-pack leader should stay down. Rest. Needs rest." Atemu growled at the Vizla before sitting up, but making no move other than that. He was willing to compromise on this. He saw Marik hesitate before nodding, reluctantly accepting the choice that Atemu had made. The Pharaoh Hound sighed and looked over at Seto again.

"Where am I?"

"Back at Yakou's base." It was Joey that answered, Seto just nodding and continuing to stare off into the distance. Atemu frowned at the motion, but turned his attention back to Joey as the golden retriever spoke. "We took you here as fast as possible. They rushed ya through surgery to get that bullet out and to stop the bleeding. They say that you'll be fine, but you'll have to stay here with the other injured dogs."

"Fine. Where's Yugi?"

"Malik-pretty got him back home." Marik nodded, looking pleased with himself.

"Bakura?"

"Deserter." Seto growled out the word, glancing back at Atemu. "He decided to side with Ryou after all, the scum. The two of them are still in Domino. Probably helping Gekkou by now to save themselves."

"Don't mind him, Atemu, he's just mad that we haven't been sent out to drag them back for punishment." Joey chuckled, although the sound seemed hollow. "Besides, Yakou is having a bit of trouble with the notes that you brought, just the calculations and stuff like that. But it's taking longer than Seto wants."

"How long?"

"You know Seto. He wants something instantly. And you've been in and out for about three or four days." Joey rolled his eyes before glancing at Seto again, ducking when the husky shot a glare at him. Joey mumbled some apology about needing to go and stood up with the husky, the two of them leaving the room.

Atemu watched them go, shaking his head before he finally gave into the trembling of his legs and slid back to the floor, Marik helping him down. The Vizla smiled at him before ducking his head and whispering, glancing up at Seto every once and a while. "Listen, Bakura and Ryou are there in case we need to get back to Domino and need a place to stay. I don't trust this place."

"Marik!" The Vizla flinched at the call from Seto, glancing up at the husky before looking down at Atemu.

"We need you here to figure out what is going on. Besides, Atemu-pack leader needs to be strong." Marik winked at him before racing after Seto and Joey, Atemu watching him go before turning back to look at the others in the room, slowly drifting to sleep.

_

* * *

Please read and review. Constructive criticism is welcome._


	13. Chapter Twelve

**Chapter Twelve**

Atemu yawned and shook his head, scratching behind his ear and wincing at the slight pull on his chest. It had been almost two months since he had been shot and, as advised by Marik, he had remained with the other injured dogs to rest. He sighed at the thought of the Vizla, glancing toward the doors that led to the rest of the compound. He had only been out there for short stints of time, speaking to the dogs that he knew and just walking around. It was frustratingly boring and, most importantly, lacking Yugi.

He sighed and dropped his head, staring at the soft carpet. It had been dull in here, staying with the other dogs that were healing or retired from work, but Yakou and, secretly, Marik had insisted. But at least he could watch as the rest of his team went out on patrol or went to search for run away dogs and strays to be brought in for safety. Atemu hugged and flopped down on the floor, glaring at the nearest wall.

"It's not that bad, young one." He looked up as a stately greyhound limped over, a smile twitching at the corner of his mouth before it disappeared.

"I have plenty of time to slow down later, Shadi. Now is not the time." He pretended to be annoyed as the greyhound laughed, watching the elderly dog lower himself carefully to the ground. Atemu lifted his head from his paws, watching Shadi before looking around the room.

In the few weeks that he had been here, he had gotten to know all of the dogs that were in here well, watching with ill concealed envy as the other dogs had gone back to their duties, leaving him behind to heal and rest. Yakou said it was a reward for all his hard work and an apology for pulling him away from his family. Marik said that it was better for him to remain behind. But, the way he spent the last few months made him more inclined to disbelieve the both of them.

He just wanted to get out and go home. Still, he felt that he had to stay to see his teammates return to normal. Atemu sighed and shook his head, the move earning another bout of laughter from Shadi. He glanced up at the older dog, Shadi smiling at him. "Ah, to be young and impatient."

"It looks very good from that end and not from here."

"If you say so." He grunted slightly as he stood up, Atemu watching the old dog carefully. Despite his grumbling, he actually cared what happened to the older dogs here. They were the respected veterans of campaigns in other cities, the ones who had survived the radiation at an advanced age and had little to no side effects to show for it.

Shadi went into a careful stretch, perking up when two dogs walked into the room, nodding at Atemu. "That is my call."

"Call?"

"I volunteered to give my knowledge on a certain device that Yakou thinks his brother might have be using. When you're as old as I am, your mind in the only thing you have left."

Atemu nodded slowly, watching as Shadi was led away, aware of how the room had gone completely silent. He turned his head towards the others, watching as they slowly went back to work, jumping as a German Shepherd spoke up from beside him. "We won't be seeing him again."

"What?"

The German Shepherd nodded her head. "It's true. The others don't talk about it, but they know it. Those that volunteer never come back."

"That sounds like a tale that humans would tell." Atemu growled out the words, scrambling to his feet. To his surprise, the German Shepherd seemed unfazed.

"I wouldn't know, I've spend my entire changed life here."

"But…you should have been out on a team! There were cities that Yakou said that we were-"

"You were the only ones out there." Atemu's eyes widened as her voice dropped to a whisper, suddenly paying more attention to her. "No other teams went out. I walked this building everyday since you group left and found that all the rest of us were here despite promises."

Atemu shivered at that, glancing to where Shadi had walked out before looking back at the German Shepherd, growling when she laughed at him. "Still don't believe me? I can show you."

"It's not that." Atemu went to speak again, but fell silent at the look that was shot his way. He didn't believe the older dog, but not because her story was too far fetched. He just didn't trust anyone immediately and without seeing their evidence himself. He sniffed before looking away. "It's not completely that."

"Then I'll show you." He stared at her as the German Shepherd limped over to a wall, the other dogs glancing at her before going back to their napping. Atemu looked around the room before standing up, following the German Shepherd. He stopped as she glared back at him, jerking her head towards the small grate. "They all think that I'm insane for thinking this, but I can't blame them."

"Why?" It would be better to prove that something was right instead of allowing yourself to be thought insane. It was one of the reasons that Atemu could never understand why Marik felt that he had to pretend to be insane around the rest of the group.

The German Shepherd stared at him for a moment before shrugging. "They think that it is better to just ignore the problem and perhaps it is. Then you don't have to think about it. Then you can pretend that it doesn't exist."

Atemu tipped his head to the side, jumping when the German Shepherd knocked the grate over, stepping back quickly before staring at the maintenance shaft that had been hidden behind the grate. He walked forward again, peering into the shaft before looking up at the German Shepherd. "Anything I should know?"

"Stay quiet. If you make a noise, they will be able to hear you. This is the only way in and out without them noticing." Atemu nodded and crouched down, about to crawl into the shaft when the German Shepherd spoke again. "I won't be following you, my old bones can't take this sort of thing anymore. But I will establish an alibi with the rest of the dogs here, just in case you do mess this up."

"Thanks." Atemu rolled his eyes before crawling into the shaft, turning his head as the German Shepherd propped the grate back up. He stared at the brightly lit room that he had come from before crawling forward, flinching at the slight click of his nails against the metal maintenance shaft. At points, he even found himself holding his breath before reminding himself that it was pointless. He was just down here to see if an old dog was really insane or not. Besides, it was something to do other than to lie around that room and listen to them all talk.

There couldn't be anything that wrong with this place.

He didn't know how long he inched his way along the shaft, sometimes having to twist awkwardly to keep from getting stuck. Atemu bared his teeth as he pulled himself out of a particularly tight spot, shaking his head before continuing onward, surprised when it seemed like he was nearing the end. Atemu slowed down, looking behind him for a moment before slinking forward, staring at the narrow catwalk that came from the maintenance shaft. Atemu swallowed nervously before cautiously stepping onto it, waiting for it to fail. When it didn't Atemu shifted all of his weight onto the structure.

Atemu pressed himself against the metal as it swayed for a moment before settling down, the Pharaoh Hound resuming his crawl across the metal. Sure that he was undetected by whatever was going on below him, Atemu stopped and concentrated on the sounds from below, leaning towards the edge as he heard familiar voices, voices that shouldn't be here at all.

His eyes widened as he saw Raphael and Dartz leading Shadi towards a room, the old greyhound walking calmly with them. But Raphael and Dartz weren't even supposed to be allowed in this building. And Shadi would have been calling out for help. The two dogs were deserters, ones who worked for Gekkou. Atemu felt his stomach sink as he continued to watch them.

Shadi was led into a small room, Dartz the one talking as Raphael stood to the side. Atemu frowned as he realized that he couldn't quite hear them from up here, mentally shrugging it off as he watched the dogs. It didn't really matter what they were saying at this point, he was just here to watch. If, and only if, it got to the point that he needed to hear what they were saying, he could find another way in. He rolled his shoulders and settled down, moving so that his shoulder wouldn't hurt as much.

They dogs remained outside the room and talked for a while, Shadi finally nodding at Raphael and Dartz before walking into the room. Atemu leaned as far out as he felt comfortable, scowling as he caught words that drifted up to him, watching nervously as Dartz and Raphael looked towards someone who was approaching, Atemu tensing at the sound of familiar footfalls. He was about to put the idea off when the smell of the man washed over him, Atemu biting back a growl when he realized what was going on.

He forced himself back into stillness as he watched Yakou Tenma stroll towards Dartz and Raphael, the two dogs greeting him before they began to talk in low tones. Atemu leaned further out, trying to listen to what they were saying, disappointed when he could not. Mentally grumbling, he settled himself to watch only, ears perking up as Yakou finally moved. Atemu thought he saw a smile on the man's face, unnerved by the perceived expression. He didn't have time to think over what that expression meant before Yakou reached out to press a button on the side of the glass room that Shadi was in.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then the room slowly began to fill with a yellow colored gas, Atemu watching in horror as Shadi began to cough, the old dog stumbling to the door and scratching at it, probably calling to be let out. Maybe this was part of the reversal process, but Shadi had said that he had volunteered to give up information, nothing else. He looked over at Yakou, his eyes widening in fear at the crazed expression on the man's face, his instincts telling him to run.

Unfortunately, if he ran he would be giving away his position and giving up this chance to see what the German Shepherd was talking about. Taking a breath to steady himself, Atemu focused on the room again, watching in horror as Shadi's struggles grew weaker. The old greyhound threw himself at the door in a vain attempt to get out, seeming to choke on the gas in the chamber before falling over.

Yakou pressed the button again, the gas being sucked out of the room. It only took a few minutes to empty the room, like it had only taken a few minutes to fill it. But Atemu felt that it had been hours since he had first come here. He swallowed nervously, watching as Yakou waited at the door to the room for a few more moments before opening it and kneeling next to Shadi. The man stared at the elderly greyhound before consulting his watch, speaking loudly and, seemingly, to no one. "Dead in a minute. Best one yet."

Atemu felt his stomach roll at those words, watching as Dartz chuckled along with Yakou. Dead? Why would anyone want Shadi dead? The old greyhound could even move around well enough to cause trouble. And, if that was supposed to be a way to put Shadi out of his misery, it had looked anything but painless. Atemu bared his teeth as Yakou stood up, suddenly hating the man.

"Get another one. A younger one…" The rest of his words trailed off as he lowered his voice, Atemu abruptly deciding that he'd had enough. He glanced around him before carefully and slowly maneuvering around on the narrow catwalk, pausing as he slipped once before moving. He glanced back over his shoulder to the group of three once before crawling carefully back to the maintenance shaft. Still unsure of if he could be heard by Yakou and his cronies, Atemu kept his careful pace, the urge to growl becoming harder to suppress.

He would get to the bottom of this quickly and save all the lives he could. There had to be a reason for Yakou's experiments in the darkness of the basement, the experiments that dogs would volunteer for, not knowing what would happen and he would find that explanation, even if he didn't like it.

Atemu pushed cautiously against the grate to the room, almost yelping when the grate snapped shut close to his nose. He caught a glimpse of the German Shepherd, about to shout at her when he heard Alister speaking. He tensed and pushed himself against the cold, metal floor of the maintenance shaft, watching. From what little he could see, Alister was asking for one of the younger dogs, his eyes widening when he heard his name mentioned on the list. There was silence after his name was called. Alister deciding to go with another dog before leaving.

He remained in the shaft for a few more moments before the German Shepherd let him out, Atemu crawling out into the open and stretching, glancing cautiously toward the doors.

"Now do you believe me?"

He looked over at the German Shepherd, watching the elderly dog carefully spread herself out on the soft floor. Atemu rolled his eyes, looking back at the doors before focusing on the dog again. "I never said that I didn't believe you."

"But you never answered for it either." The dog smiled before becoming serious again. "What did you see?"

"Something better forgotten." Atemu shuddered and gave himself a shake. "But I'm not going to let this happen for long, I'll figure out something."

The dog said nothing, leaving Atemu to watch her. Finally, he decided that he had waited long enough. He didn't know where the main entrance to that basement was or how long it would take a dog to travel from this room to there, but he guessed that he had waited long enough. It would have looked suspicious if he had left the room immediately after Alister had gone. Still, he had to search for answers, answers that he knew would only be in Yakou's private rooms.

He smothered a curse as he turned, wishing that Bakura was here. The little white dog was useful when they needed to break into places. Of course he would be left behind when they needed him. Atemu grumbled to himself, about to walk away when he heard the elderly dog clear her throat. He stopped and turned his head slightly, waiting for her to continue. "You know that he wants to get rid of you."

"Why?"

"I don't know." The German Shepherd yawned, looking like she was ready to doze off. Atemu doubted that highly, but kept the thought to himself, waiting for her to continue. He was not disappointed. "Perhaps you know something."

"But I don't-"

"All that matters is that he thinks you know something." Atemu stared at her for a moment before nodding, turning and walking off, the German Shepherd's words turning over in his head. While he was completely clueless to what she meant, he had a feeling that Marik would know. After all, Marik had been the only one to completely distrust Yakou and, probably, the only one to really see what had been going on. In the absence of Bakura to break into Yakou's rooms with him, Marik would be his second choice; Joey would talk and Seto would report immediately to Yakou.

Atemu growled under his breath as he shouldered the door open, glancing down the hall before forcing himself into a steady jog. He was done for if he looked suspicious. He scanned the halls for Marik as he walked towards the main gathering area, the place where all the dogs talked and waited to be called on by the man who had saved them, not that any of them would ever go out into the field; which explained why they had never been able to transfer news to the other teams. Aside from that fact that it would be overheard by dogs who were, apparently, still working for Yakou, there were no other teams out there.

And what about Raphael and his team? They had been resisting and helping Gekkou in every way possible. Yakou himself had said that they were dangerous deserters who threatened to undo everything, what little had gotten done. Why were they here and, apparently, close to Yakou? Nothing made sense when fixed on what he had been told by Yakou, but he had the sneaking suspicion that he shouldn't have trusted the man in the first place.

He paused as he saw Marik with a group of other dogs, watching as the other dogs slowly edged away from Marik, the usual response from anyone who didn't know the Vizla. Atemu shook his head and walked over, pausing for a moment and glancing over his shoulder. If Yakou wanted him gone for knowing something, just what he had yet to figure out, he would probably also go after Marik. After all, why would he keep an insane dog with the others?

Atemu moved forward, watching as Marik perked up, noticing a bit of anger flicker across Marik's purple eyes. "Atemu-pack leader! Marik thought Atemu had forgotten all about poor Marik. What are you doing here?"

The last words were delivered in a low whisper as Atemu sat down beside Marik, lowering his head to pretend to clean off his own leg. "I found something."

"Something?"

"Something important." Atemu glanced up at Marik. "And, lacking Bakura, I need your help."

"For what?"

"We're sneaking Yakou's rooms. I want to see what he has in there."

"Are you going to tell me your reasoning?"

"Now, no. Later, yes." Atemu stood up and stretched, watching Marik do the same out of the corner of his eye. The two of them wandered toward the front of the building that they were all living in, Atemu nodding at the dogs that he knew and Marik continuing his insane act.

They sauntered towards Yakou's rooms, Atemu slipping into the guard position as Marik checked out the area. After many nights of chasing after Bakura on various thieving jobs, Atemu assumed that Marik would know enough about how to get in. He gave a long sigh as he heard Marik curse, hoping that it meant that nothing was wrong before he turned his head around to look at the Vizla, surprised to see Marik in his human form. The human motioned him into the open room, Atemu hesitating before following him.

Atemu shrunk back into the shadows as he stared at the large room, quickly spotting the desk and rushing over to it. Yakou was a scientist like his brother, so they would keep their notes for them to work from. The only evidence that he needed would come from there. Atemu glanced back at the doors before shifting into his human form, beginning to shuffle through the papers. He found himself looking through a stack of records of all the dogs when he felt a hand land on his shoulder, tensing for a moment before turning around to see Marik standing by him.

The human leaned forward and rested both hands on the desk, looking at Atemu. "If you tell me what's going on, then we might be able to find whatever you are looking for faster."

Atemu nodded before leaning on the desk with a sigh, raising one hand to rub at his chest, feeling the shape of the forming scar from his bullet wound. "I was talking to the dogs in the recovery room, like you had asked me to. Shadi volunteered for something, and one of the other dogs had a way for me to watch without being seen or heard, so I took the chance and watched what they did." Atemu couldn't stop a shudder from running through his body. "Shadi just walked calmly into this glass enclosure and Yakou came and gassed him."

"What?"

"Shadi must have not known what Yakou was going to kill him, because he just walked right into the room." Atemu motioned with one hand, shivering before pulling himself back together. "And he panicked when he realized what was going on. They just stood there and watched him die and then talked to Raphael about getting the next one."

"Raphael?"

Atemu stared at Marik, going over the information that he had given before realizing that he had left out their enemies. He swallowed before nodding. "I saw three of them, Raphael, Dartz and Alister here." Marik didn't seem surprised by this, raising an eyebrow and waiting for him to continue. Atemu growled. "Damn it, Marik, we were told that they were the enemy!"

"And why does it surprise you when we find out that they were working for Yakou the entire time?" Marik smirked and went back to looking through the papers on the desk. "If you can't trust him now, why should you trust anything that he has ever told you?"

Atemu snarled before glaring at the table again, not moving to look through the papers there as he realized what he was staring at. The folders that he had risked his life to get were right in front of him, Atemu reaching out to open them. A quick look through confirmed that all the papers from Gekkou's lab were there, which meant that these other papers were Yakou's own notes. Atemu frowned as he saw sketches and snippets of ideas, about to call Marik's attention to one gas weapon, the one that he suspected had killed Shadi, when Marik gasped.

Before Atemu could even question the sound, Marik pushed a paper into his line of sight, Atemu staring at the paper as his mouth dropped open. From what he could make of the scribbles around the page, it was the design and calculations for the process that had changed them. His surprise quickly changed to anger, his hands gripping the table tightly. The paper had been out with the others scattered around Yakou's desk, not with the ones that were still tucked neatly into the folders. It also still smelled like Yakou, not even the faintest hint of Gekkou's scent.

He pushed away from the desk, shaking as he stared at the papers. That bastard had tricked them all. He had lied to them to keep them under his control. They were still being used to achieve Yakou's ends, whatever those were. Atemu didn't care. All he knew was that he had been helping Yakou the entire time. He wanted to rip the man's throat out for doing this, but the annoying voice in the back of his head, the _human_ side of him, was telling him not to. He snarled to himself and rolled his shoulders, looking back at Marik. "I'm getting out of here."

"That's smart." Atemu tipped his head to the side, Marik seeming to think for a moment before pushing away from the table. "You and Bakura were the only ones who saw the papers, so you would be the only threats."

Atemu's eyes widened for a moment before he narrowed them, glaring at Marik. "Damn you."

"For what, using my head?" Marik laughed, abruptly cutting off the sound and looking around. "You'd better get out of here soon."

"The others…"

"Won't believe you. Or, they'll try to escape once one has made it." Marik waved a hand as if to dismiss the subject, staring at Atemu. "You're going back to Yugi."

"Yes."

"I'll follow." Marik hesitated, seeming to think over something before nodding. "Yeah, I'll follow. I'll see if we can stir up some trouble before we leave."

Atemu rolled his eyes at the smirk. "You'd enjoy that."

"Very much so."

Ignoring the soft cackle that came after the comment, Atemu slipped out into the hall, shifting back into his dog form and trotting towards the exit. He swallowed harshly, forcing himself to keep up his easy trot without any sign of hesitation. Truthfully, he was scared. No one had escaped Yakou before, it had just been a complex web of lies. Atemu tensed for a moment before forcing himself to relax. This had to be done.

They stepped out into the yard, Atemu turning his head to look at the open gates, checking for guards. But Yakou would never post guards there, the human thought it impossible that anyone would ever want to get out. He growled to himself before walking outside, suddenly aware of the attention that he was drawing.

He was a hero to the dogs here. He had been shot by one of the traitors and lived, managing to steal something away from Gekkou. Atemu was sure that most of the stories were over exaggerated, but the effect was the same. He was the point to which all eyes turned as he walked out into the yard, feeling his steps falter for a moment before he recovered. All of this depended on him pretending that nothing was wrong.

"You're going to have to make a scene." Atemu turned his head slightly to listen to Marik. "You could just run out of here, but I don't think that it would work, they would tell Seto and he would just drag you back here. Or worse, Yakou himself."

"I'm deserting, aren't I?" Atemu gave Marik a shaky smile, watching as the Vizla seemed a bit confused by the expression, Atemu coming to a stop close to the gates. He shifted slightly, glancing towards his ticket out of the yard before looking back at Marik. "I'll start my betrayal with a show. Sorry."

Marik didn't have time to react before Atemu lunged at him with a snarl, lightly clawing at his face before pushing him away. Atemu glanced back over his shoulder to check it Marik wasn't completely harmed before sprinting off through the gates, one last look showing all of the dogs that were outside in the same state of shock. Best of all, Marik was one of them. Now they would never connect the two of them as conspirators. Atemu gave a laugh before changing directions, heading back towards Domino.

* * *

Marik fell over in shock at the initial attack, his eyes wide in fear for a moment before he smothered a laugh, putting on a show as he hauled himself up from the ground. He should have known better than to give Atemu a chance at revenge for all that teasing. The Vizla shook himself before looking out to where Atemu was rushing away, the rest of the dogs too shocked to run after him. Marik smiled to himself and turned around, walking back into the compound.

The smile died as he watched Seto rush out, Joey appearing right behind him. They must have been spotted walking out here, and Seto never missed a chance to goad Atemu. Marik cursed and got ready to run after Atemu, suddenly the idea of leaving the others to their fate much more appealing. It was more in Atemu's nature than his own to help others if there was not something in the deal for himself. And it would serve them all right for just following orders blindly. They could all smell, they could all see and hear, that's all it took to piece this puzzle together.

Marik forced the smile back on his face as Seto and Joey walked over to him, the husky growling as more of the dogs began to whisper about what Atemu had done. He couldn't hold back a small cackle, watching the dogs shrink from his presence. He merely tipped his head to the side in confusion over their behavior, his attention going back to Seto as the husky came to a stop in front of him. "What happened here?"

"Good things, Seto-thick skull. Good things."

Seto growled at the nickname, Marik somewhat disappointed that the husky didn't lash out. "Tell me, Marik!"

"Atemu attacked him and ran!" Marik glanced at the dog who had shouted out the answer with a bored look, returning his attention to Seto as all the other dogs in the yard began adding their support. The husky seemed overwhelmed at first before he just looked annoyed. Marik didn't flinch as Seto shouted for silent, continuing to keep up his act.

"Tell me what happened Marik!"

"Atemu-pack leader figured it out. Marik saw, Marik knows." He snorted and stood up, stretching before ambling towards the gate. Seto reacted exactly as he had predicted, rushing around to glare at Marik. The Vizla didn't even wait for the demand to be made, talking as he smiled. "Marik will leave this house of death now, go back home."

"Home?"

Marik nodded. "To Malik-pretty."

Seto groaned and shook his head, muttering to himself. Marik thought he could hear the words insane and idiot, but didn't bother to think too long on them. It was only a matter of time until Yakou heard about the disturbance. It wouldn't be hard for the human to figure out that Atemu had figured out his secret. And then it would be a matter of waiting until Yakou sent out dogs to kill Atemu.

He went to walk around Seto, pausing when he noticed Joey, a smile crossing his face. "Why Joey leave?"

The golden retriever stared at him for a moment before shaking his head. "I got orders to-"

"Oh." Marik shook his head. "Joey got told to leave his pack and one was a no-see. Poor no-see human, she die."

Marik saw Joey stiffen at that, wondering vaguely if that would be enough to get Joey to return to Domino before rushing around Seto and away from the compound. The more dogs they had on their side by the time that Yakou made his move, the better.

He settled into a steady pace, knowing that he would catch up to Atemu eventually. The Pharaoh Hound would probably run until he was exhausted, leaving Marik plenty of time to catch up and probably guard their escape from the rear. Seto could decide to be a hero and try to get them back before Yakou even noticed that they were gone. Marik growled at the thought before shaking his head. That was too far ahead to worry about. All that mattered was the ground beneath his paws and the home that waited for him at the end of the road.

* * *

Ryou looked up as someone walked down the stairs, smiling as Landon entered the kitchen. The man barely looked at him before sitting down at the table with a long sigh, Ryou pausing in his dishwashing to walk over to his owner, leaning against the table.

The car crash had been hard on Landon, the man working on automatic, eating, working and sleeping. The only time the man seemed to come alive was when he was at the hospital with the rest of his family, and even then he was subdued. Ryou had taken over Victoria's job of keeping the house in shape, cooking for all of them as he tried to keep the diminished family running. Strangely enough, he had Bakura to thank for that. Bakura was the one who kept him sane when it looked like everything was going down hill.

"Ryou?" He perked up at the sound of his name, offering a smile to Landon before going back to the stove, putting scrambled eggs and bacon onto a plate before walking back to the table.

"Eat."

"But…"

"Victoria would tell you the same thing." Ryou attempted to glare, an expression that ultimately failed but Landon got the point and began to eat. Ryou sighed and flopped into the other chair, resting his head on the table for a moment before looking back up. "Anything new."

"Amane will probably be released first." Landon actually smiled at that, Ryou returning the expression. The man sobered for a minute before finally shrugging. "Victoria will have to remain a while longer but…it's to see if she is safe…"

"It's for the best." Ryou offered a slightly awkward smile, looking up as he heard a faint jingling coming from the stairs. He glanced at the clock, raising an eyebrow at the slightly early hour before standing up, fixing himself a plate of food before putting the rest of the remaining bacon on a plate and setting it down on the table. He was reaching into the fridge for the milk when Bakura walked in, the other stretching before flopping down at the table and digging into his food. Ryou shook his head, turning off the stove and walking back to the table. "This is early."

"Time for the usual rounds." Bakura raised an eyebrow at him, both of them waving as Landon left for work. "I have to go check on Atemu's pip squeak. You know what would happen if I let something happen to him. It would be bad for the both of us."

Ryou rolled his eyes and picked up both of their plates, dumping them in the sink, making a mental note to wash them later. He turned to walk to the door, already seeing Bakura in his dog form waiting by the door. The white dog looked up at him and bumped his shoulder against the door, Ryou shaking his head and opening the door for Bakura. The little white dog gave an excited yip and bounded outside, Ryou taking off his collar and locking the front door with the key that dangled among his tags.

He had started to carry the key around with him the day after Bakura had turned up at his house, keeping the house locked. Neither of them knew what Yakou would do since they had both refused to return with the rest of the team. Even after nearly two months of silence, nothing had come, but that wasn't a reason to let their guards down. Especially not with Amane so close to coming back home. Ryou would do anything to keep Victoria and Amane safe from another mishap.

He placed the collar back around his neck, shifting into his dog form before looking at Bakura, allowing him to lead the way. Bakura probably knew this whole city better than he did; with Marik, Bakura had probably roamed the whole city. Ryou sighed to himself and settled into a lively trot, Bakura easily staying ahead.

Ryou smiled to himself as he watched Bakura sometimes skitter off to one side to check a smell, enjoying the unguarded manner that Bakura allowed himself now. It would only be a matter of time before it disappeared again. But it was interesting to see Bakura just being a dog again, something that Ryou wondered about in himself.

How hard would it be to return to normal? He had been living almost exclusively as a human, he was the one taking care of Landon. What would it be like to return to the way he had been, moving between the forms freely and not having to worry about taking care of Landon. Now, he didn't begrudge Victoria for having little time to lavish attention on him before.

Ryou took a deep breath, letting it out in a long sigh before looking back at Bakura, slightly disappointed that the white dog seemed to be back on his mission, moving forward at a fast run. Ryou contemplated keeping his pace and ignoring Bakura, it wouldn't hurt if Bakura reached where Yugi lived before him, but he hadn't run in a long while. The Cocker Spaniel smiled and ran after, hearing a laugh from Bakura as he caught up.

The two raced down the streets, Ryou finding himself laughing, enjoying himself for once instead of keeping silent. These moments were suddenly rare in his life, and he wanted more of them. No more missions, no more Yakou, just his family and Bakura. It was blissfully and perfectly simple, something that seemed to be continuing to evade his grasp.

"Oi, daydreamer!" Ryou scrambled to a stop as Bakura's call, only then realizing that he had run past Yugi's house. He ducked his head as Bakura laughed, the two of them slipping around towards the backyard. Bakura walked along the base of the fence, quickly finding the loose board before slipping through, Ryou hesitating before following after. Both of them were surprised when they saw Yugi curled up in the backyard.

Ryou looked at the small Shiba Inu, tipping his head to the side before walking over and nudging him, Yugi opening one eye before yawning. "Dozed off again. Solomon must be…" He turned to look at the open back door, Yugi shrugging before settling back down. "Never mind, must not have been for too long."

"Hey pip squeak!"

Yugi opened one eye at Bakura's greeting before groaning and sitting up, the action slow and calculated. Ryou found his gaze lingering on Yugi's stomach. He looked up at Bakura as the white dog bounded over, smiling when he heard Yugi groan. "Not you again."

"Just checking up on you."

"I'm fine."

"No, I'm saving myself here." Bakura gave Yugi a smirk, the Shiba Inu rolling his eyes before moving to settle back down, carefully arranging himself on the ground.

"You have seen and you can leave." Ryou thought he heard a growl from the small dog as Bakura made no move to leave. "Look, it takes a while for me to get comfortable enough to sleep and it seems like all I do is sleep. I feel fat and useless at the moment so, please, make my life easier."

Bakura chuckled before nodding and walking away, Ryou turning to follow him when they both heard a whimper from Yugi, Bakura turning around to look at the small dog. Yugi had pushed himself almost up into a sitting position, looking at them both with wide eyes. "Have you heard anything about Atemu?"

"Nothing." Bakura shook his head, Ryou shooting him a questioning look that was shrugged off. "We've been busy ourselves. But you'll be the first to know."

"Thanks Bakura." The white dog nodded and mumbled something before walking off, Ryou bidding Yugi a polite good day before trotting after Bakura, allowing silence to stretch between them until they were away from the game shop before turning to look at Bakura.

"Is he…"

"Yugi?" Bakura glanced over his shoulder before shaking his head. "Nah, he's just a dog that got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. My fault actually."

Ryou though he saw a hint of disgust on Bakura's face before the dog shook his head. "Anyway, he got is insides messed around with. He's expecting a nice litter, probably of Atemu clones."

The white dog snickered while Ryou just stared at him, trying to work his way through the logic of that statement, deciding to give up eventually. It was Gekkou, which meant anything could happen. Although, that wasn't the correct mind set anymore.

Bakura had told him about the papers and what had been in them, which had been confusing. Why would he not keep his plans for the machine that had made them like this in his lab or somewhere close by? He and Bakura had stayed up many nights talking about it, Ryou more than ready to admit that there was something going on that was horribly wrong. Bakura agreed, but he wasn't going to rush into action this time, it was what had gotten him caught last time.

"Bakura, do you think they'll come back?"

The white dog sighed. "Don't ask me stuff like that, Ryou. I don't know. I'm just trying to live, that's all we can do."

Ryou fell silent at that, recognizing the signs that Bakura was thinking through something. He was happy to leave Bakura to think over whatever was occupying his mind. Ryou was just glad for the chance to stretch his muscles and spend some time in his original form. Besides, it was a way for him to avoid some of the housework for just a little while.

And, although he would never admit it to himself, he liked spending time with Bakura. The dog was an anchor for him, something to cling to when things got too rough. There was something soothing about having someone to cuddle at night, and Bakura made a very good pillow. Ryou sighed, hearing a huff from Bakura at the sound, looking over at his companion to see if anything was wrong. Instead, Bakura was just frustrated that the squirrel was on the other side of the street.

Ryou smiled before pretending to huff and striding away. "Uncivilized brute."

"That's not what you have been saying at night! Ow! Dang it, Ryou!"

_

* * *

Please read and review. Constructive criticism is welcome._


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**Chapter Thirteen**

"Boss?" He paused in the corridor, turning around to see Alister standing in the hallway. The dog glanced up the hallway before looking back at him, Yakou almost expecting Alister to whimper as he crept forward. "I have news from the ranks, disturbing news."

"What is it?"

"They say that Atemu and Marik have left despite not having orders and that Atemu attacked Marik before he left." Alister swallowed nervously before looking up at Yakou before looking away, shifting nervously in the hallway. "Boss, what are we going to do? Atemu knew about the papers, he's seen them before."

Yakou froze, his eyes widening. He remained silent for a moment before spinning and punching the nearest wall. He saw Alister cringe backwards, regretting frightening the dog for a moment before turning to face Alister again, staring at him. "Are you sure of this?"

"Yes. I searched the entire compound for him and found nothing. He's gone." Alister sighed. "What's the plan?"

"The plan…" Yakou slumped against the wall, rubbing his forehead as his thoughts continued to tumble around his head. The one dog that could ruin his plans was loose. He had ordered Raphael to put an end to him when they had burnt down Gekkou's lab. Atemu had been the one to gather the documents, so he would have been the one to realize that their supposed enemy didn't have what they had been after. It was important to keep Atemu silent.

But the Pharaoh Hound had survived, amazingly, even when Yakou delayed as much as he could, Atemu had recovered. So Yakou had confined him to the place where Atemu would get in the least amount of trouble, but even then, he had managed to get out. Yakou had hoped that he would have the time to figure out a way to kill the Pharaoh Hound so he wouldn't talk. But he realized that he had waited for too long, he should have just had Raphael shoot Atemu twice, just to be sure that he was dead.

Yakou cursed under his breath before shaking his head, he had to come up with another plan. A smile crossed his face at the simplicity of it; he wouldn't even have to expend too much of his resources. He pushed away from the wall and stretched, looking at Alister. "Looks like a real traitor on our hands now. What do you think he'll do? Sell information to Gekkou?"

Alister stared at him for a moment, not quite comprehending before nodding, a smile crossing the dog's face. "Oh, most assuredly. I saw what Gekkou did to his little boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?"

The dog nodded. "He started hanging around one of the dogs in Domino. Raphael says that he even slept with him; that's how they caught them. And then Gekkou did something to make Atemu's boyfriend pregnant, they're his pups."

"And Atemu didn't rid the earth of the freak that Gekkou created?"

"No. He protected it."

"Well, that's enough evidence against him." Yakou knelt down to pet Alister's head, a smile crossing his face. "Thank you, my loyal friend. After my announcement of this news, I want you to gather up the dogs you trust the most and hunt down Atemu and Marik. Kill them both, I don't want any traitors living."

Alister went to walk away, stopping suddenly and looking back at Yakou. "They could lead us to Ryou and Bakura."

Yakou perked up at that, slowly nodding as he considered that. "Try to get them to lead you to them, if not," Yakou opened the door to his office, digging through a filing cabinet to pull out a card, "here's the address. It'll be smart to move against them now, especially since we can declare them all traitors at once."

Alister nodded and took the card, nodding to Yakou before moving off, the scientist leaning on the wall for a moment more before turning. He would allow Alister the time to get to the rest of the dogs before walking in to make his announcement. He frowned as he realized the next thing wrong in his plan, Seto and Joey would recognize Alister as one of their enemies, none of the other dogs considered the group led by Dartz as anything more than victims like themselves. But that was easily solved, he could just have Raphael and Dartz kill them both, maybe take them out on some faked mission. It was really simple.

He quickly walked down the hallway, turning to get to the main space where the dogs usually gathered, glad to see that nearly all of them were inside. It wouldn't take long for the news to spread to the dogs that preferred to remain outside. Yakou toyed with the idea of declaring Joey and Seto traitors as well, but decided to leave that be. Too many dogs knew them and could defend them. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, looking at the husky and golden retriever that were sitting side by side. It was too bad that all of their teammates had turned out to be traitors, he had been almost willing to trust them and let them live.

Yakou shook his head before clearing his throat and looking around at the dogs as they all perked up, making sure to look like he was regretting this as well as a little angry. If he broke the illusion now then all his hard work would be worth nothing, and he would be even further from the end of his experiments. The army was expecting him to be making a certain amount of progress in a certain amount of time; it wouldn't do to let them down. Sacrifices must be made.

"I have just gotten the news and I have come to tell you the truth." He coughed to further clear his throat, watching the dogs to see their reactions. "It is true that I have been mistaken in my judgment of one of you and, for that, I beg your forgiveness. I put all of you in jeopardy by trusting this dog to lead his team."

Yakou paused for a moment, allowing the dogs to mutter among themselves for a moment. He glanced up, nodding as he saw Raphael, Alister and Dartz sitting in the back, waiting for his orders. He would tell them their part eventually. Yakou glanced back at the dogs before clearing his throat again. "I have recently discovered that Atemu has sided with those working against us." Yakou continued over the gasp of horror. "While he showed great valor in securing the papers from Gekkou, he has stolen the ones that I need to return you to your natural state. What you saw was his last act of betrayal. Atemu has returned to give those papers back."

There were cries of outrage and a few shouts for the reason why. Yakou tensed at the question 'why' being shouted at him, hoping that he could have gotten away without answering that question. Still, he had a way out of this one too. Yakou shook his head, staring at his feet before looking up at the assembled dogs. "He fell out of touch with the true way. He allowed himself to be tainted and he has gone against nature herself! Atemu allowed himself to fall in love with and sleep with another male of his species! And what's worse, he dragged another with him! Poor insane Marik follows because Atemu was his leader!"

Shouts rose from the assembled, Yakou forcing himself not to smirk at the response. There would be no trouble sending dogs after Atemu and having him dragged back here. Then, he would act immediately instead of hesitating. Atemu and Marik would both be put in the gas chamber and silenced for good, Ryou and Bakura also if they were found. It was only just a matter of time.

He spread his hands out, looking over the crowd. "I ask for volunteers to go to retrieve those who have turned away, they must be punished for their deeds. For the sake of the rest of you here, those papers need to be returned. Help me avenge this wrong dealt to you!"

Yakou reveled in the cheers, glancing over at Alister again before jerking his head to the side, watching as the dog slid in and out of the crowd, picking those that would go with them. The scientist glanced back at Raphael and Dartz, the two dogs walking out of the room. He would speak to them later, probably send them to kill Joey and Seto. Of course, it would be blamed on Marik. Only an insane dog would attack his own friends.

The scientist rolled his shoulders before turning and walking back to his office. He wanted to make sure that all the papers were still there, just in case. It would only harm him if Atemu really had stolen the papers that he needed. His hands clenched into fists, Yakou forcing himself to relax moments later as he heard two dogs run up to him, glancing to the side to be sure that they were the right ones. "I want you to get rid of Seto and Joey. Make sure that they won't talk."

"Right."

"And, make it look messy. Remember, they were heroes who fought to the end and were brutally slaughtered by their own friends."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

"What are you doing out here?" Joey snarled at the familiar voice, looking over his shoulder at Seto. He shook his head and looked back towards the still open gates to the compound, tipping his head to the side. The golden retriever heard Seto walk over and sit down, trying to ignore the presence of the husky beside him. "Are you planning to run after them as well?"

Joey started at that, glared at Seto before looking out into the night again. "What makes you say that?"

"Your human, she was blind. And, after what Marik told you, a weak dog like you would go running back to their owner and begging for forgiveness."

"What?" Joey leapt to his feet and glared at Seto, knowing that the husky wouldn't back down anyway.

"You heard me. You want to go back."

"I had a _job_, Seto."

"This comes first! Unless you want to stay like this for the rest of your life."

"And what if I do." Joey walked away from Seto, hesitating between walking closer to the gates and moving towards the compound. He chose the latter, deciding not to incite Seto to fight, he didn't feel like that tonight. The golden retriever slumped as he walked, finding a patch of grass to curl up on and staring at the large building that made up thier home. But it didn't feel like home anymore. Joey gave a long sigh. "It might be better in the end."

"Then you'll be like Atemu and the others…" Seto trailed off after a moment, tipping his head to the side as he stared at something off in the distance. Joey glanced over his shoulder at the husky, opening his mouth to speak when Seto gave a shiver and stood up. "It's only a matter of time until they come after us."

"Us?"

"We're the only ones on the team that haven't turned traitor." Joey gave a growl at that, Seto waving it off with a flick of his tail. Apparently they would worry about what the others had done latter. "It wouldn't be too far a stretch to say that we helped them in some way or to use us to get to the others. Either way…"

"We're in danger." Joey stood up, sniffing the air in the vain hope that he could get some kind of warning. He huffed when there was no scent that seemed different. Joey glared at Seto for a moment before shaking his head, hating himself for getting himself involved further with the stuck up husky. "So, what's the plan?"

He saw Seto wince, the husky's gaze flicking back to him before looking back out through the gates. "We find Atemu and the others. Atemu will have to explain all of this, sooner rather than later. But, until then, there is safety in numbers and we _know_ that we can trust them."

"Can we?"

Seto was silent for a long moment before he nodded slowly. "I think that they're the only ones we can trust."

"Even Yakou?" Seto nodded, Joey wandering over to sit next to him, tipping his head to the side. "Yeah, yeah, you're right there. I mean, why would Atemu betray us _now_? He could have just stopped us from torching the lab. It makes no sense."

"Finally you are getting it."

Joey growled, Seto seeming to ignore the sound, leaving the golden retriever bereft of the reaction that he had wanted to get from the other dog. He sighed and absently scratched at his ear, pausing as he was placing his hind leg on the ground again. "But…between you and me, I'm doing this to get back to Serenity."

"I thought so."

"Yeah?" Joey snorted and rolled his eyes. "It's not like you are doing this for any different reason."

There was a long pause before Seto whispered his answer, the word coming out so softly that Joey almost didn't hear it. "No."

"Can we take that as a confession then?" Joey jumped to his feet as Dartz walked towards them, taking a step forward and growling. He didn't know what the dog was doing here or how he had gotten in. Beside him, he felt Seto tense, Joey turning his head to watch as Raphael circled close from the other side. His attention moved back to Dartz as the dog spoke. "Or are you just talking about how much you missed the humans that you lived with?"

"What does it matter?"

Dartz looked incredulously at Seto for a moment before laughing. "Oh, it matters. It depends on how you want to remembered after your death."

"Death?"

"Shut up, Joey!"

"Yes." Dartz nearly hissed the word out. "You could die as heroes or traitors."

Joey turned in place to follow Dartz's slow circle of them, bumping into Seto along the way. He saw the husky roll his eyes before Seto continued to stare ahead, not looking at Dartz as he spoke. "I take it that this is assassination."

"You would be right." Dartz laughed. "After all, all of your team are traitors. We're just cleaning out the viper's nest."

"Yeah?" Joey snarled, crouching low to the ground. "Well this viper has got fangs!"

He rushed forward, barreling into Dartz and knocking him to the ground. Joey snapped at his neck as Dartz tried to roll over, the golden retriever jumping from the other dog as Dartz flipped onto his stomach, the two of them snarling at each other. Dartz shook himself before slowly walking forward, Joey retreating at the same time.

A yelp from the side drew his attention, Joey pausing as he saw Seto pinned to the ground, struggling against Raphael. His momentary distraction was enough to have Dartz grab him by the top of his neck, using the hold to knock Joey over. They tumbled onto the ground, Joey scrambling to get the upper hand as Dartz tried to adjust his hold so that he could bite down onto Joey throat. Finally, their tumbling came to a stop, Joey pulling himself away.

He ran from Dartz, building up speed and barreling into Raphael, freeing Seto. The husky stared up at him for a moment before Joey grabbed the scruff of his neck and tugged, Seto stumbling to his feet. "Come on!" Joey's shout was muffled by Seto's thick fur, the golden retriever letting go the next moment. "Running would be good."

"Fine." Seto took off, Joey staring after him before bounding away himself, catching up with Seto as they sprinted out of the gates, putting a good distance between them and their would be assassins before stopping and turning around, staring at the compound that they had called home for almost two months. Joey saw Seto narrow his eyes as he stared at the compound before jerking his head in the direction of Domino. "Come on, they'll report to Yakou and then we'll be in trouble."

"How?"

Seto snarled, turning to face him. "Listen, idiot. Where's the first place they will go to make sure that they will get us?"

Joey's eyes widened. "Home."

"Exactly. So where do we have to be?"

"No. We'll go somewhere else! We'll lead them away."

"That will kill them." Seto sat down and cuffed Joey. "We go and we defend them."

Joey whined, more from the impact of Seto's paw against his head, glaring at the husky. "I thought you said that there was safety with the others. If they attack our homes, we'll fall apart."

"Then we fall apart." Seto shrugged and began walking, glancing back over his shoulder and tipping his head to the side. "We'll defend our homes to the death and nothing will stop us."

"Right." Joey scrambled to his feet, giving himself a shake before trotting off, listening to Seto grumble to himself before the husky caught him. Just to annoy the other dog, Joey gave him a huge grin before sprinting off, hearing Seto curse and then scramble to catch up.

* * *

"Atemu, stop. You're going to run yourself to death." The Pharaoh Hound barely listened to the protests of Marik, his nose to the ground as he worked on backtracking to Domino. He knew that they were close, it hadn't been a long ride into the city in the first place. He just had to find the right way in, the way that would bring him back to his family. He still debated between going to Yugi first, but he knew that he should check up on Mana first. His loyalty to the Sennen family said as much.

He huffed and slowed, listening that much to Marik. He heard the Vizla sigh, Marik's claws clicking over the road that they were traveling on. "And they said I was the insane one."

"There's a difference between insanity and determination."

"Not much of one."

"Marik," Atemu turned to shout at the other dog, finding that the words he had planned to say didn't come out, "I don't know what they did to him. You can wander back as slow as you like, but I can't. Gekkou did something to Yugi and I need to find out if he's still alive!"

The Vizla stared at him for a long time before shaking his head. "As I said, not much of one, but it's good. Welcome to the dark side, Atemu. It's much more fun over here."

The Pharaoh Hound rolled his eyes and trotted off again, returning to the fast pace that he had set for their travel. He wanted to get to Domino as quickly as possible, knowing that Yakou wouldn't have missed their departure. Atemu glanced up at the sky, it was almost midnight and they still had a ways to go. He had the sneaking suspicion that they were entering on the opposite side of the city from where the Sennens and Yugi lived. Atemu sighed before breaking into a run, wincing as his muscles protested.

Since he had been shot, he hadn't exercised as much as he should have. The damaged muscles were just barely beginning to recover and were complaining now that they were demanded to work at their fullest. Atemu shook his head, stretching out a foreleg slightly more than required on one side, sighing at the slight relief that it gave him. He would be sore in the morning, but that didn't matter, he was going home.

A smile crossed his muzzle at the thought, imagining his bed in the small room at the Sennen house, joking around with Mana in the living room and spending the afternoons napping with Yugi in the sunshine. He never would have left that paradise if Marik hadn't dragged him into Yakou's jeep. He would have been content to live out the rest of his days there, bullet or no bullet. But, at least his confinement had given him time to figure out who their true enemy was.

"We'll have to tell Bakura and Ryou."

"Huh?" Atemu was briefly ashamed at how breathless he sounded.

"They've been living in fear here since we left. It'll do them good to hear our news. Besides, I bet Ryou is ready to kick Bakura out of his house." Marik laughed. "Think about the two of them trying to get along."

"Yeah. Unlikely." Atemu laughed as well, their laughter echoing back at them as they entered the city. The two dogs looked at each other before breaking out into smiles and pushing themselves faster. Home was so close now, just a few more miles, a few more corners to turn and they would be safe. Atemu didn't think much on the fact that Marik had no real home, too focused on the people that waited for him.

He put on more speed, easily outstripping Marik as they turned past the park, barely hearing the Vizla call for him to come back. Atemu just chuckled, revealing in the feeling of his body working, the feeling of being able to _run_. He could ignore the small flashes of pain for this. Atemu panted happily as he took the next corner quickly, his eyes widening as something knocked into him, sending him tumbling into the bushes.

Atemu heard Marik shout his name, distracted from that by the dog that was leering down at him. The Pharaoh Hound snarled as he recognized Alister, struggling to get up as the other dog held him pinned to the ground. Alister just laughed at his struggles. "In a hurry?"

"How did you get here?"

"It pays to be one of Yakou's favorites." Atemu's eyes widened for a moment before he jerked away, surprised when Alister let him go. The Pharaoh Hound clambered to his feet, staring at the other dog as Alister sat down. "It was just a matter of getting a car and waiting for you here, all too easy. And it's been a long wait."

Atemu tensed, ready to spring when he heard things moving through the undergrowth, spinning around as he heard laughter from the bushes. His eyes widened, the Pharaoh Hound taking a step back as the dogs that had surrounded them while Alister had been talking stepped out of the bushes, all of them glaring at him. Atemu spun back around, staring at Alister as the red dog laughed. "They're all here to see you die a traitor's death, Atemu. The death that you deserve."

"No!" Atemu flung himself to the side as he saw movement on his right, rolling on the ground as the dogs rushed for him. He snarled and scrambled to his feet, turning in time to meet the first charge. He ducked to snap at the dog's legs, feeling the dog claw at his back before knocking the dog over and moving on to the next one. Atemu dodged the next attack, yelping as he was knocked over again.

He panted and pushed himself up again, trembling for a moment before rushing forward again. If he went down he would be killed. There were too many to survive that. His best chance of survival was to get out of his grove and run for safety, as much as it riled him to do so. He would easily out run all of them on the flat, hopefully. He had been running for a long time, but it would be hard for them to outstrip him. Atemu shook his head and dodged around the next attack, lunging for an opening in the bushes.

He got a moment of freedom before he was jerked back into the bushes, clawing at the dogs that tried to get at his throat. Atemu glanced quickly over his shoulder before pulling himself free of the dog that was pulling him back, rolling to his feet in time to look at the dogs that were still moving towards him. Atemu glanced quickly from one side to the other, swallowing harshly when he realized that he was completely surrounded, backed deeper into the grove and further away from his freedom. Now, it would just be easier to run through the park to get home, but it would be harder to stay out of their way, especially if they used shortcuts.

Atemu snarled and lunged forward, decided to go with his second plan. If he could burst through them and leave before they had a chance to react, then his original plan of running would work. He knew that he would never be able to fight all of them, not on his own. And especially after running nearly all day.

He managed to push past a few dogs before he was met with resistance, Atemu howling in frustration before backing away, flinching as dogs snapped at him. He whipped his head to the side, catching a mouthful of fur and hearing the dog yelp before he scrambled away, allowing himself that small moment to rest. To his surprise, the others allowed him that too, Atemu glancing over at Alister. He was not surprised to see the dog smiling.

"Well fought, Atemu. I would have thought that living as someone's pet would have softened you."

"I had to deal with you guys. It kept me in shape."

"Oh, so I served you in two ways, as your personal exerciser and your executioner." Alister gave him a smile before shaking his head. "There has been enough talk. Kill him."

Atemu growled and glared at the approaching dogs, clawing at the face of the closest one before spinning to snap at another. He was aware that they were circling around him, trapping him in the middle of all of them, but he could do nothing to stop it, there were just too many. Still, he snapped at them, hoping that they would keep away and leave him with room to breathe instead of pushing in and trapping him with no space to move.

He yelped as one dog grabbed a hold of his foreleg and pulled back, tugging Atemu off his feet as the dog shook his leg. Atemu snarled attempting to scramble back to his feet when another dog pressed him back to the ground. He snapped at them, gasping for air as one dog walked over him. He let out a breathless scream as another dog bit his back, slumping to the ground as something jumped over him. Atemu groaned and pulled himself partially up, staring at the snarling Vizla that was standing beside him. "Marik?"

"I told you to wait." Marik snarled at him before biting at one of the dogs that had gotten too close, all of them surprised by Marik's entrance. Atemu staggered to his feet, wincing as he went to place his right paw on the ground, immediately picking it back up. It wouldn't hold his weight, nor would it be useful to fight with. So he would be almost no help to Marik in the fight. He would still try to hold his own.

Atemu stumbled back when the dogs closed in again, hopping awkwardly on three legs to keep from being injured too badly. "We need to get out of here."

"They won't let us."

"We can try." Atemu swallowed, trying not to imagine Yugi's smiling face. "Then we fight."

Marik glanced over his shoulder at Atemu for a moment, the Pharaoh Hound giving a small nod to the regret that he saw there for a moment. They had been so close to home, so close to freedom, and it was all gone. Marik sighed and lashed out at another dog, Atemu snarling to keep the dogs away from him. The reply came so softly that he almost missed it. "We fight."

Atemu glanced around before rushing forward, finding the weakest point in the circle, seeing Marik turn his attention to that spot too. The Pharaoh Hound steadied himself, ignoring the pain that flared up his leg when he set his paw on the ground. He would have time to worry about that later, right now his life was more important than a minor injury. He didn't waste time in making a noise, just charging at the weak spot with Marik by his side.

Surprisingly enough, that was enough to send a few dogs running, leaving less to hold their positions. They were easily knocked aside as he and Marik barreled through, Atemu knocking into Marik's shoulder as the Vizla turned to face their attackers, reminding Marik that to stay and fight meant death. Marik glared at him for a moment before taking off at a run. Atemu followed a split second later, limping heavily. He cursed as he realized that he would be slowed down by this, shaking his head and forcing himself to ignore it.

From behind them came the barks and howls of the dogs sent to kill them, Atemu not bothering to glance back over his shoulder; he was going too slow to be distracted by that. He panted as they tore through the park, Marik slowly straying to one side. Of course the Vizla would make for the place he felt safest, which should have been the plan. The problem was, they both wanted to get to different places.

Atemu growled, about to correct Marik when something landed on his back, Atemu yelping as he was pressed to the ground. He turned, snarling as he stared at the dog that had managed to bring him down, seeing the others were catching up. Atemu shook himself, managing to get the dog off of him before standing up, twisting to bite and scratch at the dog as it tried to drag him back down again.

He glanced up, seeing that Marik was slowing ahead of him, probably wondering what had happened, but his attention was grabbed by the dog that was racing out of the woods between them. Atemu snarled and pushed his attacker away before rushing to meet the new threat. He had wondered where Valon had gone. It would be just like Yakou to have a reserve force waiting in case the original couldn't handle the job.

To his surprise, Valon stopped between him and Marik, Atemu glancing up to see Marik carefully moving back to stare at Valon. His run slowed as Valon tipped his head back, exposing his throat to Atemu. The Pharaoh Hound stared at the white fur before looking back at Valon, watching as the dog tipped his head to the side. "Trust me?"

"Possibly."

"That's enough." Valon let his head drop, standing up quickly. "Follow me. I'll get you out of this mess."

Atemu hesitated for a moment before running after Valon, jerking his head to let Marik know where they were going. The Vizla changed course, catching up with them as Valon led them into the brush, Atemu tensing a bit at the move but forcing himself to keep following Valon.

Valon's strange behavior had put him on the edge, but the fact that it was unexpected was enough to get Atemu to at least listen to the dog; something that Valon had probably counted on. But, then again, they were being led away from their assassins, although he couldn't tell if they were being led _towards_ the next group. He couldn't smell anything, but that didn't mean that the necessary precautions weren't already in place. Atemu snarled to himself, the sound dying in his throat as Valon glanced back at him.

"Explain later." The words were panted out as Valon turned back to his task of leading them through the maze of undergrowth, Atemu soon unable to worry about what Valon was doing. He was too busy twisting himself around objects, trying to keep up with the dog even as his own energy flagged. He was soon barely keeping up with Marik, pushing himself to his limit just to remain in that place.

Valon turned abruptly, leading them down a sharp slope before pressing himself against the ground, Atemu collapsing to the ground himself and trying to catch his breath. He exchanged a glance with Marik, the two of them holding their breath as he heard the dogs run by, slowly turning his head to watch Valon. The Australian Shepherd was as tense as they were, staring up at the top of the slope. Atemu swallowed, pressing himself closer to the ground. If they were spotted, then all three of them were doomed.

Thankfully, the dogs just rushed past, blinded by their fury and need to kill the supposed traitors. Atemu breathed a sigh of relief and slowly sat up, raising his injured paw off the ground and looking at it. He flinched and tentatively licked it, wondering what had happened. It probably wouldn't hold his weight after what he had put himself through tonight. Atemu sighed and stood up, swaying as he tried to get his balance on three legs again, turning to look at Valon. "Explain now."

The Australian Shepherd glared at him before sighing. "The quick version then. Ask me when we aren't in trouble if you want the long version." Valon huffed, turning his gaze to the slope of the hill. "I stayed behind, helped Gekkou establish himself in the city. He's working to counteract everything that his brother did. He's cleared his name among the humans, but we have no way of catching Yakou."

"The papers are all there, just send police."

"You'd be willing to give this over to the humans to deal with?"

Atemu shrugged at the incredulous look that Valon shot him. "They can handle this part better than we can. Besides, I quit. I'm going home."

He started to limp away, turning to look over his shoulder as Valon cleared his throat. The Australian Shepherd glanced at Marik before walking over to Atemu. "I'll help since you look like you're about to collapse."

Atemu growled, stopping as Marik laughed. "Don't. You look like hell. Get home, we'll talk later." With that, the Vizla bounded up the slope and disappeared into the undergrowth, Atemu shaking his head.

He stumbled as Valon knocked against him, the dog smiling before beginning to walk slowly, slow enough that Atemu could keep up. The two of them moved as quietly as they could through the park, hiding when they heard the barking of the dogs that were looking for them. Atemu exchanged a glance with Valon, sighing in relief when they were back on the sidewalk, Valon quickly nudging him to the other side of the road.

Atemu limped his way home, his frustration growing as it seemed to take longer, wanting to bite Valon for the smug look that he had on. The Australian Shepherd shook his head and sighed. "Don't think too much about it, your pride means nothing right now."

"Sure, and you won't spread this to all the dogs you know."

"Hey, on my honor here. I could have just left you to be torn to pieces by those dogs instead of risking my life." Valon shook his head. "I'm an honest to God pet now, I don't want anything getting in the way of that. I _like_ that life, thank you very much."

Atemu looked at the collar around Valon's neck at the tags that dangled from it. He tipped his head to the side before rolling his eyes and leaving it at that. He thought about knocking Valon over for the smirk that the Australian Shepherd gave him, but decided against that. Now, more so than before, he was leaning on Valon to keep him upright. It would be a bad move to knock his crutch over.

He was having trouble keeping his eyes open when they finally reached the Sennen house, Atemu ready to fall asleep right outside the door. Instead, Valon urged him around the side of the house, nearly shoving him through the dog door that was still there, leaving Atemu to sprawl in an undignified manner into the family room. The pharaoh hound groaned and turned his head to look at the smiling Valon, giving an unthreatening growl before giving up. Valon would have enough to tease him for anyway with this trip.

With a wince, Atemu hauled himself to his feet, shaking his head in an attempt to clear his mind. The moment of complete coherency faded quickly, leaving Atemu swaying in place. He gave his head another shake before tipping it to the side, listening for voices before muttering a low curse as he realized that the voice was coming from the kitchen. Of course it would be the farthest away from where he was. Atemu sucked in a deep breath before hopping awkwardly to the kitchen, managing to make it most of the way under his own steam. He was in the doorway when he collapsed again, deciding that any more movement was not worth the effort.

Abruptly, the voice that was talking stopped, muttering something before there was the sound of plastic sliding against plastic. So someone had been on the phone, which explained the one voice. Although, knowing that it was close to dawn, Atemu should have assumed that Mana had gone to bed. He had lost track of the days of the week, those things not important in Yakou's compound, not knowing whether it was a weekend or a weekday. He sighed and looked up, blinking to clear his blurry vision.

"Atemu?" He smiled at the familiar voice, giving a weak wag of his tail before stopping, yawning as he stretched out. He heard Akhnamkanon sigh with relief before the man's shadow loomed over him. Atemu rolled onto his side, blinking at him before offering another wag of his tail, surprised when Akhnamkanon nearly picked him up to hold him close. "Where have you been?"

"Around." Akhnamkanon stroked his head, Atemu leaning into the caress with a long, happy sigh. "Just around."

"We'll talk tomorrow." Atemu just gave a nod, content to leave the conversations for the next day. He wasn't quite functioning enough to keep up with this one. He heard Akhnamkanon groan as he was lifted from the ground, Atemu blinking up at the man as he grumbled. "You are going on a diet. You're too heavy."

Atemu gave a huff at that, the sound enough of an answer. He felt himself carried up the stairs and into a room before being laid down on his bed. He gave a quiet, happy noise before curling up and falling asleep.

_

* * *

Please read and review. Constructive criticism is welcome._


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**Chapter Fourteen**

"Are their bodies out on the lawn?" Yakou smiled as he heard the dogs come in, still staring at the papers on his desk. The notes for the radiation treatment were still among their fellows, meaning that Yakou was still safe. He patted the papers before straightening up. He could turn in the machine to the army soon, then they would be able to make and hide extra troops. He glanced down at his sleeve, absently brushing dust from it as the continued to talk. "And are they suitably mangled? I want the dogs to look out there and see that something horrible has happened."

"Boss?" Yakou finally turned around at Raphael's tone, the happy smile on his face disappearing as he stared at the two downcast dogs. The corner of his mouth twitched before he leaned back against the desk, the motion a clear sign for Raphael to continue. The dog shuffled nervously before speaking. "They both got away. We could have chased them, but then it wouldn't look good if they came back."

"Damn it!" Yakou shoved a few papers off his desk, glaring at them as they fluttered to the floor. He raked a hand through his hair before shaking his head, coming up with nothing. He had tipped his hand by sending Raphael and Dartz to kill those two, and they had escaped. He could only hope that they stayed away and didn't talk, both of which were unlikely. So it was down to Plan B, the plan that he didn't have. The only thing that he could think of that would be remotely affective would be to just attack those families. And, better yet, it would solve both of his problems.

One, it would get rid of all the dogs who knew his secret. Two, it would get rid of all the dogs that he had around here. The army wouldn't take them since they were essentially the prototypes of his work, they were worried that something would go wrong or there would be adverse affects, a good concern, but one that irked him greatly. Now he had a large number of dogs that were useless to him. Of course, he could always use them in further experiments, but it would do him no good. He needed them to either be animal or human, the mixture of the two didn't help him at all. He was already using them to perfect the deadly gases that he was working on, but that wasn't enough, there were still more.

But he could use this. He could use this attack as a way to get rid of most of the dogs. They would either be killed by those protecting their families or be taken to animal shelters. And, if they spoke of any of this, no one would believe them. He would make sure to make some sort of announcement that the dogs in the shelters were mentally unstable, but not enough that they wouldn't be suitable to go into homes. There were thousands of ways to get around this, thousands of ways to get rid of the evidence.

Yakou smiled and relaxed a bit, glad that he now had a plan. With a plan, he could do anything. He clapped his hands together, rubbing them as he took a step forward. "Alright then, organize all the dogs that you can. We're going to get them back here and make them pay for what they have done."

"But sir, Seto and Joey-"

"Are traitors." Yakou waved Raphael's statement away, the smile still not leaving his face. "They have thrown in their lot with the wrong group. As I said, gather as many dogs as you can and divide them into five groups, one for each house and the alley. Find the traitors and attack them. I don't care what methods you use, just get the dogs outside and fighting. Just get them somewhere where you can kill them. We can't have them getting to Gekkou."

"Right." Raphael and Dartz chorused their answer before walking out of the room, leaving Yakou to chuckle to himself. He had everything back under his control again. Both his problems would be solved and he could move on to the next project easily; this time, without the aftereffects of having to take care of the animals after he had used them. He rubbed his hands together again, frowning as he looked at the door. At least his loyal servants would be gone as well. He was hoping, no, _praying_ that Dartz, Raphael and Alister were killed in the fighting. Yakou had high hopes that Valon was already dead.

And that would be that.

* * *

"Malik, get the paper."

"No. Sleeping."

"Malik, you're the dog. It's one of those things that dogs do. They fetch the paper."

"'m not conforming to a stereotype." Malik shifted under his blanket, finding a more comfortable spot. "Besides, you get to sleep in, why don't I?"

He yelped as the blanket was peeled back, Malik staring as Ishizu before she grabbed his collar and pulled, Malik automatically standing up. He scrambled to resist the slight pressure that Ishizu had on his collar, knowing that it would be futile. He would be shoved outside to get the paper and, of course, he would take his sweet time about it. Ishizu could get the paper herself if she wanted a timely delivery. After all, he had been quite comfortable in his bed.

Malik sat down as Ishizu unlocked and prepared to open the door, making sure to glare at her so she would know his irritation with this. Of course, that wouldn't stop it from happening tomorrow morning, but it was part of the routine, that counted for something. Malik gave a long, put upon sigh before standing up, Ishizu holding the door open with an expectant look. "And don't you dare take four hours again."

"It's my way of rebelling against unfair treatment." Malik stepped outside, ignoring Ishizu as he continued his tirade. "I should just take myself to the shelter and report you, and don't think I won't! It's all well and good to bring a new little human into the world, but that doesn't mean you get to abandon your loyal dog. And another thing-"

The door was slammed in his face, Malik huffing and sitting down. He stared at the door for a moment before resigning himself to getting the paper. The sooner he got it, the sooner he could go back inside and return to his napping. Ishizu would be hard pressed to come up with something that would drag him away from his bed after the morning was through. He smiled to himself, glaring at the door before turning to hop off the porch, only to trip on something that was splayed across the step down to the sidewalk.

Malik yelped as he tumbled to the ground, hitting the ground, remaining still for a moment before picking himself up. He shook, aware of the puff of dust that lifted off his coat. Hopefully he wasn't too dirty or Ishizu would be more inclined to give him a bath, something that he wasn't particularly looking forward to. He gave himself another shake, just to be sure that he had gotten all the dust off of him before glancing down the driveway. Sure enough the paper was there, where it was supposed to be. But then, what had he tripped over?

He looked back to the step, his mouth dropping open in shock as he recognized the dog, quickly pretending that he wasn't surprised as Marik blinked blearily and lifted his head from the ground. The Vizla glanced around before yawning, pushing up until he was sitting. "Damn sun."

"Marik?" Malik suppressed the urge to wag his tail, telling himself that he wasn't _that _happy to see the other dog. "What the hell are you doing back here?"

"Long story and one that I am not going to tell you." Marik smiled before stretching, glancing at the paper at the end of the driveway. Malik only had time to process the smirk on the other dog's face before Marik had raced to the end of the drive and snatched up the paper, bounding back to the door and scratching at it. Malik rolled his eyes as Marik gave a whimper, about to tell the Vizla off for such behavior when Ishizu opened the door.

"Oh hello there. You're Malik's friend, aren't you? And you brought the paper! Good dog." Malik growled as Marik wagged his tail furiously. Ishizu laughed at patted his head. "Come on in."

Malik scrambled it after Marik, slinking down the hallway and watching as Marik continued his act, nearly whimpering as the Vizla bounded over to _his_ bed and curled up on _his_ blanket. He rushed out of the front hall, looking between the intruder in his house and Ishizu. He gave a soft whine and walked over to Ishizu, looking up at the woman. "Ishizu…"

"No, Malik. He's staying."

"But he's a stray. He could be planning to do horrible things to us."

"And you don't?"

Malik huffed at that, glaring at Ishizu for a moment before trying to put on his mask of worry again. "But…But…"

"But nothing. He's staying. Tomorrow we take him to the vet, get him checked out and then he's staying. No more arguments."

"Ishizu…"

"We need someone to make sure you don't get into trouble during the day. And don't make that face," Ishizu pointed the pen that she was using at him, "I know what trouble you can get into. And I've noticed the weight that you're starting to gain."

Malik pouted and went to sit in the living room, alternately staring mournfully at Ishizu and glaring at Marik. He bared his teeth as the other dog smirked from his reclined position, turning his head as Mahad came downstairs, attempting to look pitiful in the hopes of winning the man over.

Mahad stopped at the look, glancing at Marik for a moment. "Is he the porch dog?"

"Yes."

"Is he staying?"

"No."

"Did Ishizu say he is staying?" Malik didn't answer, sulking. He saw Mahad nod, glancing up in the hopes that the man had seen his side of the story, only to be disappointed. "If Ishizu says he is staying, then he's staying. You know better than to argue with her."

"Whipped."

"Yes, but I don't get into trouble as often." Malik grumbled to himself as Mahad walked off after that last retort, hating to admit that the man was right. He shot another glare at the two humans before turning his glare onto Marik, the Vizla giving him a smile.

"Come on. I'll even share it with you."

"It's mine in the first place."

"Oh?" Marik tipped his head to the side. "Then thank you for your kind generosity."

Malik growled and stormed over, curling in the farthest corner to stay away from Marik. Even with all of this, he could still take his nap. He was just drifting off when he felt something press against his back, opening one eye and tipping his head to the side. He wasn't surprised to see Marik using him as a pillow. "Get off."

"No." The Vizla sighed happily and wiggled to get into a comfortable position. "You're comfy."

"And you're annoying." There was no reply, Malik glaring at Marik for a moment before resigning himself to this. If Ishizu and Mahad wanted to invite this dog into their house, then he wouldn't speak against it. After all, he was only just the other dog in the house, the one that had given them nothing but his loyalty. And he would be the one laughing when this whole thing when wrong.

"Malik-pretty's fur is soft."

"Shut up, Marik."

* * *

Atemu yawned as he woke up, glancing down at his injured paw before sitting up, smiling when it took a fraction of his weight without protest. Well, that was one good thing. He tipped his head to the side before giving the injured paw a few licks. He could always get it checked out later, assuming that he didn't push himself too far today. But he doubted another occurrence of last night would actually happen. It would be too dangerous for Alister to attack in the daylight, which meant that Atemu had to restrict his wandering to bright streets and daylight.

He huffed at that thought, hating the idea of being restricted but pushed the thought aside. At least he was home safe, and he would do anything to keep it that way. Besides, it would keep Akhnamkanon and Mana from worrying over him. If that happened then he _would_ be restricted to the house at all times. Atemu gave a long sigh before staring at the door, glancing at the floor before carefully sliding down.

His paw was placed tentatively on the floor, Atemu leaning on it to see what would happen. He flinched at the pain and shifted his weight off of it. Atemu rolled his eyes and sighed. He would have a very obvious limp, one that would probably get worse as the day wore on. And it was probably nothing more than a bad strain. He shook his head before limping out into the hall, contemplating the stairs for a moment before deciding to risk it, carefully easing himself down them.

Voices drifted out of the kitchen, Atemu turning his head at the sound and wagging his tail. He carefully maneuvered off the last step, shifting until his paw didn't hurt before limping towards the kitchen, unable to stop the wagging of his tail. He was too happy to care at this point, he was finally home and safe; none of this was a dream.

He peeked his head into the kitchen, watching as Akhnamkanon glanced at him before standing up and pulling out his food, Atemu panting happily as he walked into the kitchen, giving Mana a wide smile before rushing for his food. As much as he wanted to walk over to Mana and greet her properly, his body demanded food. Besides, he had things to do today. He didn't want to end up sprawled over the sidewalk unable to move. Atemu winced at the thought, swallowing the last mouthful of his food.

It seemed that Mana had waited long enough because he was suddenly pulled back into a hug, flattening his ears to block out the squeal that Mana gave. He had a moment to process what had just happened before Mana was sobbing into his fur, Atemu whimpering and looking at Akhnamkanon for an explanation. The man just shrugged, returning to his coffee. Atemu pouted for a moment before turning to lick Mana's cheek, the gesture surprising her and making her look up. "Hey, it's alright."

"But you were gone and I was worried and I thought that I was never going to see you again." She wiped the tears from her face, Atemu contently resting partially in her lap. He could have moved, but he found that he didn't want to. Mana smiled at stroked his back, still sniffling. "Dad said that Yakou came around and demanded that he have you back. What happened?"

Atemu paused for a moment, tipping his head to the side before finally sighing. "A mistake, a big one. But don't worry, I'm not going back again."

"Really?"

"I can promise you, Mana, that I would die before I go back there." He nudged her hand before glancing at Akhnamkanon, watching the man get up and stretch before taking their plates to the sink.

"That's enough Mana. You have work today, remember?"

The girl blushed and nodded, rushing upstairs to change her clothes. Atemu tipped his head to the side before standing up, staring at the door to the kitchen. "Work?"

"She promised to help Solomon with his shop today. There's a new game coming out and he'll need help with the rush."

Atemu perked up at the familiar name, a smile crossing his face. That was perfect, he could follow Mana and talk to Yugi. It would be a simple thing to stay all day with Yugi and return home with Mana. For now, he didn't feel like putting too much distance between him and his family. He swayed slightly for a moment before looking at Akhnamkanon, a bit unnerved by the stare that the man was giving him.

"I-"

"Just be careful and come home safe, Atemu." Akhnamkanon turned back to the dishes, glancing at the clock before shaking his head. "You're stuck with us whether you like it or not."

Atemu had to smile at that, nodding before trotting out of the kitchen to wait in the front hall for Mana, wagging his tail when the girl finally appeared, the smile back on her face. She looked down at him, staring at him for a moment before reaching for his leash. "You coming with me?"

"Of course." Atemu tipped his head up so that Mana could attach the leash to his collar. He stood up cautiously before following Mana out the door, trying his best not to limp or show any signs that he was injured. Mana would freak out if she found out that he was hurt and attempting to walk, he would be hauled back home and confined. That alone was enough to keep him try and hide his limp, trailing slightly behind Mana all the way to the game shop.

He glanced up as he heard the bell sound, smiling at Solomon before staring at Mana, hoping that she would take the leash off so he could go and find Yugi. The girl laughed and leaned over to unhook the leash before stepping aside to let him walk towards the stairs, Atemu not wanting to risk running. He glanced back at the two, reassuring himself that everything was alright before heading up the stairs.

Atemu gave a happy sigh as he stared at the familiar arrangement of furniture, stepping further into the room and looking around. A glance to the side showed him that the door to the backyard wasn't open, meaning that Yugi was still inside. He nodded to himself before venturing further into the room, frowning as he saw that Yugi's toys, usually scattered around the room, were piled neatly off to one side. The room didn't seem right without Yugi's toys scattered about. And, on top of that, he didn't see Yugi.

Worried, Atemu moved further into the room, circling around the edge of a chair and stopping when he saw Yugi curled up on his bed. A sigh of relief left him before Atemu bounded over. His excitement quickly disappeared when Yugi yawned and looked up at him, seeming to take a moment longer to figure out who was here. Then he was all smiles, acting normal. Except that he wasn't getting up.

Atemu whimpered and settled down behind Yugi, curling around the smaller dog and watching him, a bit alarmed that Yugi seemed to be falling asleep again. It was too early for Yugi to be napping, the little dog hadn't even worn himself out. Atemu glanced at Yugi again, suddenly noticing the Shiba Inu's swollen belly. He ran over the list of diseases that would cause that before leaning over to lick Yugi's shoulder, the motion earning a smile from the small dog. Atemu returned the smile. "Hey."

"Atemu." Yugi snuggled closer to Atemu with a happy sigh. "Why were you gone for so long?"

"Yugi I…" Atemu decided not to answer, deciding that Yugi was more important that his rush of bad luck. "But what about you?"

"Oh." Yugi yawned. "I spend most of my days sleeping, it's kind of annoying but I really don't have the energy for anything else. And walking is a pain."

"Yugi?"

"Thank goodness that it's almost over, right Atemu?" Yugi's cheerful demeanor suddenly vanished. "But, you wouldn't know about all of this because you were gone. Where did they take you?"

"I'll tell you that story, I promise, but only after you tell me what has been going on here." Atemu glanced at Yugi's stomach again before resting his head close to the Shiba Inu. "I missed you, so much, Yugi."

"Me too Atemu." The Pharaoh Hound relaxed as Yugi licked his face before nuzzling his shoulder. "It's been hard without you here, especially when I didn't know where you were. Why did you have to run back into that building, Atemu? I thought that you were going to die!"

"I know, Yugi and I'm sorry, but there were things that I had to sort out first." Yugi looked away at that, Atemu whimpering and licking his face, relieved when Yugi looked back at him.

"No, I know why you had to to it, it just...I just wished that you had stayed. It would have been easier…" Yugi shook his head before beaming up at Atemu. "At least you'll be here for the big day."

"Big day?"

"Yeah." Yugi's smile turning slightly dazed. "When the puppies come."

Atemu stared at Yugi for a long moment, mouthing his words before finally speaking. "P-puppies?"

Yugi nodded, the smile still not leaving his face. "Our puppies."

"Our?" Atemu shook his head. "Yugi, there is no way we could have puppies. We're both male and-"

"Gekkou talked to me about it on one of our trips to the vet." Yugi glanced up at Atemu and winced. "Please don't hate me, but I trust him. He doesn't sound like an insane maniac who wants to rip my organs out just to discover things. He talked to me and he sounds genuinely sorry for what he has done. But he told me all about what he had done. It basically winds down to the fact that I can have puppies."

Atemu stared at Yugi for a while longer, unable to resist the pleading look in the Shiba Inu's eyes for too long. He sighed and looked away, shaking his head. "I don't know Yugi..."

"Atemu, I'm fine." Yugi laughed, reaching up to lick Atemu's jaw. "I'm fine. I'm just tired and less inclined to move, but everything is great. He hasn't done anything horrible to me."

"Yugi, I can't-"

"Atemu." Yugi leveled a glare at him, Atemu withstanding the glare for a moment before finally giving in. He sighed and rested his head back on his paws, watching as Yugi found a comfortable place against him. This wasn't the end of it, but he would stop appearing worried for Yugi's sake. Yugi nodded, stretching out and settling back down. "Good. Now, you tell me what happened when you were gone."

* * *

"Hey," Joey paused at the shout, looking over his shoulder at Seto. The husky jerked his head in the other direction, Joey barely glancing that way. "This way."

"I'm going to see Serenity first."

Seto shook his head, turning around and heading off in the direction of his own home, Joey a bit confused by his lack of argument. But, then again, he could still be angry at Atemu for keeping so much from them; like why he had gone rogue for instance. Knowing Atemu, there had to be a good reason for it, but it was annoying that he wouldn't tell them, especially when they would be in danger because of his choice. Joey rolled his eyes and banished the worry, turning and running for his home.

His tongue lolled out of the corner of his mouth as he panted, dodging through the crowd of people. Eventually he would find Atemu and ask for an explanation. But, knowing Seto, he would probably be dragged away some night to participate in an 'interrogation' of their leader. He would just have to be alert for those who wanted him dead for being assigned to the same team as Atemu. Joey snarled at the thought.

If any of Yakou's dogs had harmed Serenity in any way, they would all pay dearly for it. That was the only thing he knew for sure.

Joey rounded the last corner, perking up as he saw Mai and Serenity standing on the front porch of their small house, the girls apparently getting back from some errands. Joey's eyes darted to the cane that Serenity held in her hand, another growl escaping him. He didn't like the cane, it made him feel useless and now, guilty. He had been an idiot to just leave her because of Yakou.

Unable to stop himself, Joey let out a bark, wagging his tail as he saw both of the girls look up in surprise. Serenity leaned over to talk to Mai, Joey not catching the words as he came bounding up, only arriving in time to hear Mai give a short giggle. "It's Joey!"

"Joey?"

"You stupid, insane dog. What are you doing here?"

Joey came to a bouncing stop, sitting in front of the girls and smiling. "I came back."

"But Yakou said-"

"Forget about it." Joey glanced over at Mai before ducking his head, ashamed that he had left in the first place. Mai was right to call him stupid, because that had been the dumbest mistake that he had ever made in his life. He should have been willing to stay behind until Yakou had finished with his experiments with the reversal of their condition, not rush off at the first chance that he got. And, with Atemu's reaction, he wasn't sure if he could completely trust Yakou. Especially if Raphael and Dartz were there. "So, I'm back for good this time. No more running off."

"See, and they said you couldn't teach an old dog new tricks." Mai chuckled to herself before leaning over to scratch Joey's ears, ignoring the annoyed look that he gave her.

"Alright, very funny."

"Hilarious." Mai tossed her hair over her shoulder before unlocking the front door. The blonde glanced at Joey before rolling her eyes, a smile on her face. "You know what, Serenity, I think it's time that Joey got a bath."

"Really? I can't smell anything."

Mai glanced at Serenity before rolling her eyes, a smile on her face. "Well, all three of us just spent most of the day cleaning up our little home and Joey's been out romping."

Joey whimpered and slipped behind Serenity. He saw her glance down at him before she smiled, Joey realizing that he had just put himself between Serenity and the door. For good measure, Joey whimpered again, relaxing as Serenity reached down to pet his head. "I bath wouldn't hurt him. And it _would_ save us another round of cleaning."

He slumped at that, glaring around Serenity's legs at Mai, and the woman had the gall to smile back at him. Mai was pure evil in his book.

Joey allowed Serenity to take hold of his collar and use him to guide herself into the house, the golden retriever falling easily back into his role. To his surprise, he had missed it. He shook his head gently, once again chiding himself for his stupidity before resigning himself to the torture of a bath. At least he was home.

* * *

Seto scowled as he stared at the school, tipping his head to the side before sitting up. He had already been waiting here for too long but he couldn't bring himself to move. There was always the possibility that he could miss them. And he didn't want that.

Noa could have gotten himself into trouble, had to stay after for detention. And Mokuba, being the only one to control his cousin, would have found a way to stay as well. But there was a problem with that scenario, the students who were in detention had gone home about half an hour ago, so it was impossible that they were still in there.

Seto huffed before standing up, glancing one more time at the school before heading back to the mansion, where he should have gone in the first place. Still, he had wanted to be sure that everything was alright in his world. The husky gave himself a shake, glancing around at the people milling around before turning, taking the shortest route between the school and his home, resisting the urge to rush there in a full out sprint.

While he had left for a time, it had been necessary. Above all Yakou was…had been his boss, the one that held all of his happiness with him. To disobey Yakou had been the last thing that he would ever do, and he had known that as the others obviously had not. Seto snorted at the memory of their stupidity. At least he was out now and, aside from demanding answers from Atemu, he would never have to deal with them again. He could live out the rest of his life with the Kaiba family, just being their dog, as he was supposed to be.

For a moment, Seto considered turning around and going to Atemu now. He could drag the story out of the Pharaoh Hound and demand the answers that he sought. After all, Atemu had been the one to ruin his chance at changing back into a dog, no more of this human nonsense. Still, escaping with his life had been the better option at the time. Getting killed would get him nowhere.

Still, there was always the chance that the situation could be salvaged. Atemu would tell him what he needed to know and then he could gather up the dogs that wanted to return to normal. It would be as simple as withholding the information that Yakou needed until their demands could be met, namely that they would be allowed to go back to the home that they had been assigned to. It was only fair that they use trickery considering what Yakou had done to them.

Seto smiled to himself, slipping through the bushes on one side of the Kaiba property. He glanced out of the greenery before pulling himself through, shaking off before trotting for the house. Without meaning to, his smile grew larger as he approached the house. He would never admit it to the others, and he barely admitted it to himself, he enjoyed his life here. The thought was quickly pushed away, leaving Seto free from sentiments as he entered the house, ignoring the surprise on the butler's face. He had more important things to focus on than the staff.

He trotted down the hallway far enough to catch Aknadin's scent, turning around when he had found that. The man wasn't the one that he was worrying about. He turned around, sniffing, searching for the scent of the other two. Seto frowned for a moment before turning his head toward the kitchen, tempted to check their bedrooms before shaking his head. That was something a human would do. The smart thing for him to do would be to follow his nose.

Seto turned and headed for the kitchen, barely looking at the decorated hallways as he went, too focused on the two that were waiting for him on the other side. He nosed the door open, peeing through the opening. At first, he didn't see anyone, Seto frowning and about to back up to retrace the scent when he heard voices. He hesitated for a moment before creeping forward, the door swinging shut quietly behind him.

"Ouch!"

"If you sat still-"

"Well, it hurts!"

"Then it's doing its job!" Seto perked up as he recognized the voices, slinking around the counter and stopping when he saw the two boys sitting at a table at the far end of the kitchen. His tail wagged a bit at them, the motion stopping as he noticed that Noa was holding a slightly bloody cloth to his cheek, his arms covered in scrapes, most of them hastily bandaged. He leaned around the corner more, ears perking up to try and catch more of the conversation. "You should have known better!"

"They said-"

"I don't care what they said!" Mokuba glared at Noa for a moment before going back to his bandaging. "You stay quiet and out of trouble. Dad has enough to worry about with-"

"Uncle doesn't care!" Noa yanked his arm away from Mokuba and glared down at his cousin. "He spends all of his time holed up in his office working on the company. I've read some of the reports and the company is doing fine! Why can't he spend time with us then? What's his excuse?"

"He's…really busy…"

"Too busy for us." Noa pouted and slumped back in the chair. "He's just like my Dad, always working and never having time for me. That's why Mom left and I don't think he even noticed that she was gone. I bet he still doesn't notice, even if he is dead."

"I'm sure that Uncle Goza-"

"No. Never." Noa shook his head, strands of green hair falling across his blue eyes. "You and Seto are the ones that actually think I exist." The boy paused after speaking, biting his lip and glaring at the floor. "But then Seto left."

"He's coming back."

"No, he just said that to make you feel better. He's _not_ coming back."

"But he said-"

"Everybody says things they don't mean! Everyone lies!"

"I wasn't lying." Seto watched as their heads turned to look at him, walking from his place behind the counter. He ambled over to Noa, glancing over the various cuts and scrapes before looking at the boy. "How did you get those?"

"Seto!" The husky jumped as Noa launched himself at him, the boy wrapping his arms around the dog's neck and pressing his face into the thick fur. Seto tensed as he felt something wet on his fur, turning to look at Mokuba only to be surprised as the black haired boy hugged him as well. Seto wobbled, almost losing his balance before being able to stand upright. He glanced at the two clinging to him before shaking his head.

"I said that I would come back."

"But people always lie when they say that!"

Seto looked down at Noa, his stomach twisting oddly before lowering his head to rest his muzzle on Noa's shoulder, suddenly resolute. "I wouldn't lie to you. I would _never_ lie to you."

"But-"

"If you have to trust only one person, trust me." Seto raised his head, hesitating before licking Noa on the cheek, enjoying the burst of laughter from the boy. The corner of his mouth twitched up in an almost smile, Seto turning to repeat the action with Mokuba before jerking his head in the direction of the door. "Come on, you two have homework."

* * *

"You're out late."

Bakura paused at the familiar voice, smiling before he turned around to look at the dog in the shadows. He tipped his head to the side, waiting to see if Atemu would actually step out, unsure of why the Pharaoh Hound remained hidden. "I could say the same for you."

Atemu shrugged and looked around, venturing closer to the edge of the shadows before sitting down. "I had to check up on the rest of my team here, make sure that nothing has gone wrong."

Bakura laughed, shaking his head. "You say that like you expect something to."

"I do." His laughter stopped, the white dog staring at Atemu. The Pharaoh Hound sighed and shook his head, staring at the ground. "I found out about the papers and Yakou."

"Those papers had nothing to do with-"

"I know." Atemu glanced up momentarily. "I know that they don't, but Yakou tricked them into thinking that. No only that, but we were the only ones out here, he kept the rest of his experimental successes back at his lab to run more tests on."

Bakura stared at him, his brain jumping to how he would deal with a smug Marik when he realized what Atemu had actually said. "_His_ experimental successes? He did this." Atemu nodded miserably, Bakura turning around and beginning to pace, growling. "And we fell for it."

"Hook, line and sinker. I'm not even sure if Seto and Joey have figured it out yet…" Atemu stared at him wide eyes before cursing. "And Marik and I just left them behind."

"They'll understand."

"If they're not dead already."

The white dog gave a snort, shaking his head and trying to hold back his laughter. "If only Seto would die. I don't think it's possible for him." That drew a short laugh from Atemu, the Pharaoh Hound shaking his head before looking away with a long sigh. Bakura tipped his head to the side, waiting Atemu out for a few moments before getting tired of the silence. "So what's the plan?"

"You still trust me with things like that?" Atemu stared at him incredulously before drawing himself up. "Tomorrow I'm finding Gekkou and talking to him. Maybe he can do something and maybe he can't, but I want this done. It's too dangerous for Yugi-"

"And the pups."

Atemu nodded slowly, his eyes widening slightly at the statement. "And the pups." Atemu's gaze drifted to the ground for a moment before he looked away. "I'll be out looking for him tomorrow. Keep an eye on Yugi for me."

"What do you think I have been-"

"Alister is back." Atemu turned to look at him, Bakura feeling a shiver run through him. The Pharaoh Hound nodded before looking away again. "Yakou has him after me and Marik. He wants us both dead. Alister has a bunch of dogs, all willing to kill those they view as traitors. Tell Ryou to be careful as well."

Bakura nodded, Atemu standing up and calling and end to their short meeting. The two dogs nodded at each other before Atemu moved off, obviously limping. Bakura was about to shout something about Atemu taking better care of himself before he let the sentence die unspoken. Atemu knew that, but the Pharaoh Hound would always focus on others before himself. The white dog shook his head in disgust before turning and trotting back to the townhouse where Ryou and a warm bed waited for him.

_

* * *

Please read and review. Constructive criticism is welcome._


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**Chapter Fifteen**

"Looking for me?" Atemu turned around, staring at the smiling Australian Shepherd. Valon tipped his head to the side, tongue lolling out of his mouth as he panted happily. After a moment of staring, Atemu finally nodded, standing up and walking over to Valon. "Thought so, especially after checking up on everyone yesterday."

Atemu paused, glaring at the dog. A growl rumbled up through his throat, Atemu cutting it off at the last minute. He had no reason to distrust Valon, not when the dog had saved him and Marik from being torn apart. Still, he didn't appreciate being spied upon. The Pharaoh Hound sighed before nodding, knowing that antagonizing Valon would get him nowhere. Valon was the only one who knew where to find Gekkou. "Yes."

"And I guess that you want me to take you to where Gekkou is?"

"Yes." Atemu bristled at the smile that was on Valon's face, his patience close to snapping. "Listen, knowing Yakou, he's thinking of a way to kill us because we escaped with important information. Maybe he's already got the plan ready and he's just waiting for the right moment. I don't know, but we're running on borrowed time and I have my mate to think about."

Valon had taken a step back, the Australian Shepherd looking serious for once. Atemu waited for Valon to speak, watching the other dog carefully. Valon turned his head to look back towards the deeper forests of the park before looking back at Atemu, lowering his voice. "I've been trailing those other dogs as well, they're still here. Alister probably doesn't want to go back unless he can report a victory."

"Then we'll have to deal with them both at the same time." Atemu looked up as he heard Valon chuckle, the Australian Shepherd on his feet.

"Already planning for battle, Atemu? I haven't even taken you to Gekkou yet." Valon gave a short bark of laughter before turning and walking off, Atemu hesitating for a moment before following after him. The two dogs crossed the park, staying away from the shaded paths. Atemu still jumped at the sounds coming from the forest, keeping a careful eye on the shadows. He half expected Alister to get desperate and move now, especially since he had failed the first time; Yakou would be waiting for news.

He focused on Valon again as the dog walked out onto the sidewalk, leading Atemu towards some apartment complexes, Atemu slowing to look around. He didn't want to rely on Valon all the time, especially if this became a regular thing. Some part of him still distrusted the Australian Shepherd, but that was probably because of the months of being enemies. Still, Atemu had to trust his instincts, although he doubted that Valon would do anything more harmful than a prank.

Atemu was surprised when he saw that Gekkou was waiting outside, wondering why the human would bother to show himself in broad daylight, especially after what his brother had said about him. Briefly, Atemu wondered what had been going on while he was gone, but he shoved that thought away. He would focus on one thing at a time. The first was Yakou and the dogs that he lied to, all the other worries would fall in after that. He sat down on the sidewalk, watching Valon circle around Gekkou before picking a spot to sit, jumping in surprise as Gekkou reached down to scratch behind his ears.

Gekkou was about to speak when Atemu shook his head. "Let's skip the formalities for now, there's too much to do and too little time." He waited until Gekkou nodded, ignoring the shock on the human's face. "Yakou knows that Marik and I escaped. He knows that we've figured out what he's been doing and that he's been lying to us. There are dogs somewhere in this city who have come from Yakou to kill us, Valon probably knows where they are specifically. But they're not the main problem, that's Yakou. He's going to try and find a way to destroy the ones who have deserted him. I think that he'll send others out rather than coming after us himself. He might have done that already."

The human stared at him before nodding, running a hand through his hair and staring out at the street. "Well, the pack of dogs is easily solved. Valon can tip off the shelters and animal control about them, even lead them to the dogs. That'll keep us safe here. But as for Yakou…that is another matter altogether."

Atemu growled, turning away to glare at the sidewalk. Of course it would be simple enough to solve the problem of the dogs who ran under Alister's command, but it was always Yakou that escaped. As a dog, or a weird mixture of human and dog, he had no authority in the human world. Officially, he was a family pet and nothing more. The orange tag on his collar said that he was a strange mutation and would be allowed to walk around as a human, but it didn't give him rights, although Atemu couldn't fathom being a human in the world outside of his house, it looked too complicated. He closed his eyes, letting his head drop as he thought, hearing Valon whine from his place beside Gekkou.

Every plan that came to mind was worthless, Atemu lacking the resources that he needed. And, always, Yakou would escape. Like he had escaped from that first police raid with them in tow…

Atemu's eyes snapped open, staring at the sidewalk as he ran over that first raid in his mind. He hadn't seen much as he had been running for his life, scared and unsure of what he was, but it could work. Yakou still had the same jeep as he did before and, while Atemu hadn't memorized the license plates of the car, he was sure that Marik or Seto had. If they gave that to the human police, that Yakou wouldn't be able to get away again. And, if they were quick enough, they could get the papers from Yakou's office, which would be evidence enough. That was a simple enough job with Bakura. But that still left the chance that Yakou would get away from them and staring over again. And, while he would be constantly on the run, it wasn't the kind of vengeance that Atemu wanted and it wouldn't also guarantee the safety of their families.

Still…if they could incapacitate the jeep in some way, then Yakou would be forced to run. And running was something that Atemu was good at. Atemu's gaze dropped to his injured paw with a wince, having to rewrite his plan. No, he wouldn't be able to do the running, which left it up to Marik, Joey and Seto. He flinched at the thought, hating that he would have to find Joey and Seto somehow, the guilt from having to leave them there settling in.

He sighed, looking up at Gekkou before clearing his throat. "I have a plan. I just need you to call the police with the authority to take Yakou into custody and some of my team."

"How long will it take you to gather your team?" Atemu sighed at the question, looking down at his injured paw. It was just his luck that he was unable to do much when they had this chance to strike back. He was about to offer his estimate when Valon spoke up.

"I'll go and get them together." The Australian Shepherd gave himself a shake after he stood up. "That pack won't be moving for a while and Yakou takes precedence over those fools. I'll meet you over at the station."

Before Atemu could say anything else, Valon had sprinted off, leaving him with Gekkou. He turned to look at the human as Gekkou laughed. "Valon is eager to make up for what he did, especially knowing what is happening to those dogs who remain in Yakou's grasp."

"Why didn't you ever tell us?"

Gekkou shrugged. "Because you never would have listened. Yakou had managed to convince you that I was evil and that's all you cared about, and he did a good job of keeping you under his control too." Atemu flinched, ducking his head again. He tensed as Gekkou rested a hand on his head, glancing up at the man. "But it was not your fault. And now, you can do something about it. Now, tell me this plan."

Atemu nodded. "We get the police involved again, they're the only ones who can actually detain Yakou, we don't have that authority. Same idea, have them look into the place."

"We can't do that without-"

"Evidence? That's where Bakura comes in. He can sneak in and out and retrieve your notes from that building." Atemu glared at Gekkou as the human went to open his mouth. "We aren't like the rest of you humans, it wouldn't be considered stealing since we were accidentally given intelligence. And it would be just like an unintelligent dog to accidentally mix up the papers and bring out some of the less humane actions."

Gekkou was smiling now, Atemu wagging his tail before continuing on. "They'd have to disable the jeep, but if they can't I'm sure one of us can remember the license plate number so that they could track him. Still, Joey, Marik and Seto should be enough to follow him if he runs. They could catch him sooner and hold him for when the police come. Then we wouldn't have to worry about him at all. The dogs could go to shelters or be adopted and that will be the end of this."

"You're making use of some shaky grounds here, Atemu." The Pharaoh Hound just grinned at Gekkou, the human wavering for a moment before finally nodding. "But they should hold, at least one time. And, even if they don't, there might be some gain from this. Alright, we'll go."

Atemu went to follow him, hesitating for a moment before sitting back down. "Wait. There's one more thing." He watched as Gekkou looked back over his shoulder before turning around, Atemu staring up at the human. "I need to know about Yugi."

"The Shiba Inu?"

Atemu stared at him for a moment before shrugging, not knowing what Gekkou was talking about. "The dog that came in with me."

"Ah, yes. Yugi."

They stared at each other for a moment more before Atemu sighed. "He trusts you and, while I have my own reasons, I don't see that he has any reason not to. But I warn you, if this is part of some scheme that you and your brother have created-"

"And if it isn't?"

Atemu stared at Gekkou for a while longer before looking away with a sigh. "Then I might be able to trust you. But if anything bad happens to Yugi, you will regret it."

"The warning and the threat is duly noted, Atemu. But I wish you could trust me now."

"And I wish you would have stopped your brother earlier." Atemu stood up and began limping towards the police station, Gekkou following along. "That might have made me trust you. But you ran and hid."

"What else was I supposed to do? Yakou managed to come out on top with his escape. I was watched carefully even while you guys were doing your nightly raids and I wasn't allowed to react. It's only been recently that I was able to win their trust back. Even now I'm working to undo the things my brother did." Gekkou slumped. "But it's only indirectly."

"Then you have the chance to something directly for once." Atemu grinned at the human, expecting a similar response, instead he just got a steady glare. Gekkou glared at him for a moment before slowly smiling, Atemu wagging his tail as they both agreed on this one thing. Atemu nodded to himself, looking ahead and keeping an eye out for Alister's pack, in case they got desperate. Still, something bugged him.

Atemu glanced up at the human, swallowing nervously before focusing on the sidewalk ahead again, forcing his voice not to waver. "When the time comes, for the pups…will Yugi be alright?"

He felt Gekkou's gaze on him for a moment, before the human looked away, bristling slightly under that momentary gaze. Atemu heard the human clear his throat before speaking. "We have been watching Yugi as carefully as we can. And, since I was the one to do this to him, I will be the one to perform the procedure. I swear to you that both he and the pups will survive, or I will not hold any actions that you will take against me. If that does not at least make you start to trust me, I don't know what will."

The Pharaoh Hound sighed, hanging his head before nodding slowly. "It's a start, a good start."

"I'm glad you think so." Gekkou laughed nervously, leaning over briefly to pet Atemu's head. "And I am glad that you are on my side. I think my brother made a stupid mistake making an enemy of you."

"I know it was a stupid mistake."

* * *

Bakura jerked his head up as there was a knock on the door, glancing back at Amane before slipping off the bed, sure that the girl would be alright for a short amount of time. He bounded down the stairs, watching Ryou carefully as he crossed the room and opened the door, absently wiping his hands on the towel. From the kitchen, Bakura caught the scent of the lunch that Ryou had been cooking for Amane, glancing towards the room before taking up a better position. If something were to happen to Ryou, something that Bakura would do his best to prevent, it would be up to him to protect Amane. It would be his duty alone since Landon was at the hospital with Victoria.

He tensed as the door opened, his eyes widening in shock as he saw Valon standing there, the Australian Shepherd looking vaguely dizzy, something that always came after a shift. Bakura's shock disappeared in the next moment, replaced by one of anger. He snarled and took a step forward, stopped only by Ryou's signal. Bakura swallowed nervously, looking between Valon and the stairs, unsure of what Ryou was going to do.

Ryou crossed his arms over his chest and glared down at Valon, the Australian Shepherd having the grace to look a bit ashamed. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here on orders." Valon nodded, shifting nervously. "Atemu's orders."

"Atemu?" Ryou blinked before kneeling down, the move enough to invite Valon a few steps closer. The Australian Shepherd glanced back at Bakura before coming to a stop a good distance from Ryou.

"Yes. He is planning to stop Yakou in his tracks or, at least, hobble him. And he needs your help."

"Atemu is back."

"I met him on the way back home last night." Ryou turned to look at Bakura, the white dog looking away, not wanting to be scolded for forgetting to tell Ryou about his meeting. It had honestly slipped his mind come morning, the time spent keeping Amane comfortable. Although he would never admit it, he liked the quiet little girl. It was one of the reasons he had spent the entire morning reclined on her bed, allowing the girl to rub his stomach. He coughed and raised his eyes, trying to look pitiful. "He talked about how they had discovered that Yakou had betrayed us, something that we already knew. I knew nothing about any plan."

"The plan is recent." Valon glanced around Ryou with a hopeful look on his face. "He wants to end this for more than one reason."

"He wants to keep the pups safe." Bakura nodded, stepping forward until he was standing next to Ryou. "The same reason that we want to be sure that Yakou doesn't stay hidden. There was no need to ask if I wanted to help, just tell me the plan."

He tipped his head to the side as Valon explained, catching the excited look on Ryou's face and shaking his head. Ryou wouldn't like what he was about to say, but it was for the good of their family. He winced at that thought, wondering how he had managed to get so tame. He considered blaming Ryou, but he couldn't bring himself to keep that thought for long, deciding instead to blame Marik. "Ryou, you're not going."

"What? Bakura, I'm as much of a-"

"You have to look after Amane." Bakura glared at him, watching Ryou shrink away for a moment before matching his gaze. "Keep her safe and I'll be back, promise."

He dodged around Ryou, pausing to lick his hand before rushing outside. Bakura bounded to a stop to look over his shoulder, nodding to Ryou before tearing after Valon, jerking his head in another direction. "It's faster this way. Marik will have moved in with his little obsession."

The Australian Shepherd changed directions quickly before bounding back, easily outstripping Bakura and heading off in their new direction. Bakura snarled and raced forward, panting and he tried to keep up with the longer legged dog. They tore through the streets, Bakura leading them through back allies and avoiding the major traffic centers. He thought he heard a short exclamation of praise before they turned down the street that led to Malik's house.

Bakura pushed himself faster, skidding awkwardly around the turn onto the driveway, snarling as Valon bounded over him and rushed up to the door, the Australian Shepherd changing forms into a human before knocking on the door. Valon shifted back the next minute, staring up at the human who answered the door. Bakura managed to squirm under Valon to look inside, barking as he saw Marik longing on a bed as Malik growled at him. He chuckled to himself before leaning inside. "Marik, get out here!"

The Vizla perked up and rushed out, taking one look at Valon before smiling. "Atemu-pack leader is on the move." Bakura didn't have the breath to speak, only to nod and smile. Marik hopped around before jogging outside, looking respectfully at the two humans before stepping outside. His smile didn't fade as he looked at the two. "This hunt will be good."

Valon just laughed, nodding before turning and jerking his head in one direction. "Come on, we still have a while to run."

Marik nodded before looking back at the two humans, bowing his head respectfully. "There is one thing I have to do." He paused and looked at Malik before looking at the two of them again. "To keep all of you safe."

Bakura ducked his head, trying not to laugh as he saw Malik growling at Marik, enjoying the act that the Vizla was putting on. Of course that Marik would want to preserve the home that he had found for himself, but Bakura doubted that it was for any other reason then his own comfort. But, then again, Bakura glanced down at his paws as he remembered how he had spent his morning, nearly ready to curse for letting himself become so tamed. Still, it wasn't like it was influencing him badly and he did have Ryou with him at all times. To his mind, it was a good exchange.

"Marik, stop wasting time!" He turned, getting a head start on the two longer legged dogs, joining Valon in laughter when he heard Malik reply to an unheard endearment.

"Stop calling me that!"

* * *

"Joey!" Heedless of the shouts from the two other dogs, Marik bounded away from the sidewalk, glancing both ways to check for cars before rushing across the street, coming to a stop. He glanced at the woman who was walking the gold retriever. Marik gave her a glance, noticing that she hadn't turned to look at him before turning his attention back to his former teammate. "We left you back at Yakou's place."

"We had to get out." The golden retriever looked confused, growling as Bakura and Valon crossed the street. Marik stepped away, allowing Joey to stand in front of his owner, the motion seeming to calm the dog down a fraction. The Vizla debated on whether to slip back into his normal pattern of speech or speak normally, knowing that it would take more time to explain. Thankfully, Bakura took charge, moving between Valon and Joey.

"Listen, we're going to get Yakou back for what he's done. Atemu has a plan and he's gotten help to carry it out. Once done, we can come back here and live out our lives without ever seeing each other again." Bakura glared at Joey, Marik ready to let out a curse when he saw Joey backing away. But the golden retriever nodded slowly, glancing back at his owner.

"Let me take Serenity back, just to make sure that she's safe and then I'll join you." Joey snarled, the sound making his owner place a hand on his head. He turned to lick her hand before looking back at the group. "Where are we meeting for this last party of ours?"

Marik smiled at Joey, giving into his excitement and bounding around the two, panting happily before looking back at Bakura and Valon, the Australian Shepherd looking a bit alarmed by the behavior. Marik rushed up to Joey and gave him a quick lick on the face before beginning to bound away, glancing back over his shoulder with a laugh. "Forward!"

He thought that he heard a laugh from Bakura before the white dog caught up with him, knocking against Marik. "First Seto, and then we get to chase them down, Marik. Save your energy for the chase."

A similar blood thirsty look was shared between the two of them, Marik bouncing impatiently as Valon walked up to them, glancing over at Joey before taking off at a run towards where Seto was. If Joey had made it out, then it was safe to assume that Seto had followed as well. While neither the golden retriever nor the husky actually liked each other, they were always together for some strange reason that Marik preferred never to think about. Seto's business was Seto's business.

"Oi!" He glanced back to where Bakura was lagging, sighing and slowing down for the shorter dog, watching as Valon laughed. He gave a chuckle himself before focusing on the sidewalk ahead. Marik's gaze strayed to the dark alleys that would take them to the police station before turning his head away. With Joey here, they had to get Seto at his mansion, Marik couldn't imagine Seto being anywhere else. Although, it would be hard to convince the husky to come with them Marik just smiled at the challenge.

The Vizla could hear Valon and Bakura shouting at him to wait up, Marik enjoying the chance to really stretch his legs, dodging easily through the crowds and skirting around the standing groups of people, holding back a howl. He was already excited about this hunt, and they hadn't even got there yet. But it was revenge and any revenge in his mind was good. Yakou had a lot to make up for.

Marik growled at the thought of the man, forcing the sound back. He didn't want to get snatched up by some person thinking that they were helping out the community by taking the snarling dog off the street. He glanced around cautiously before focusing again feeling his mind already beginning to wander again. He cursed under his breath, blaming Yakou for the state of his mind. His insanity almost wasn't an act, something that he would never admit to scaring him. It was no reason to worry, though, he could handle it.

"Hurry up, slow pokes!"

"Marik, some of us don't have long legs!"

"Sucks to be you!"

"Marik!" He laughed, glancing back at Bakura to see the white dog glaring at him. It was too much fun to wind Bakura up, almost as much fun as Seto.

And speaking of the husky…Marik turned his head as they raced down the drive, smiling as he saw that Seto was outside. Apparently, he was watching over two boys, something that made Marik smirk. If Seto only knew who was watching him. Marik shook his head and let out a bark, watching as Seto started, attempting to look like he hadn't been watching over the boys. Marik just panted happily, bounding to a stop in front of Seto. "Thought Marik would find Seto here."

Seto sighed and rolled his eyes, perking up a bit when Bakura and Valon came into his line of sight. "What do you want Marik?"

"Help. Marik hunts." As much as he loved annoying Seto, he could tell that he was losing the husky, Seto not inclined to listen to the ramblings of an insane dog. Marik sat down and tipped his head to the side, debating whether to drop his act again before deciding to forget it. The act had protected him before, but it could be shoved easily to the side. Besides, watching Seto freak out made it almost worth it. "We're going after Yakou."

The husky jumped at the sudden shift to a normal tone of voice, staring at Marik before walking away from the Vizla. Marik bristled at being pushed aside so easily, turning slightly to watch Seto talk to Bakura. It was obvious that the husky was ignoring Valon as well, aside from the angry looks that were sent the Australian Shepherd's way. Marik huffed and circled around to be included in the conversation, carefully watching Seto as Bakura spoke.

"Since we all seem to be back here, we should get Yakou away from any place that he can harm us from." Bakura snapped at Seto as the husky went to speak, the white dog glaring up at Seto before continuing. "Even if you don't want to, just do this one thing. Although, I'm not going to beg you to do it."

Seto continued to glare, the husky and the white dog snarling at each other before Seto took a step back. "Fine. But just because Yakou tried to kill me. I have to return the favor."

Marik gave a happy yip, bouncing in place before starting to run off, pausing when he realized that the others would be slower to following him, bouncing impatiently in place. "Come on! We have a hunt to take care of."

He paused, waiting for Bakura to pass him, knowing that the white dog would need as much of a lead as he could, snarling at Seto as the husky walked past, giving him a cold glance. "I liked you better when I thought you were insane."

Marik growled before tipping his head to the side. "You know what? I liked you better when you couldn't talk."

* * *

Gekkou gripped the handle of the door tightly, watching as the cars pulled up to the building. He swallowed nervously, watching Atemu tense beside him. He found himself scanning the grassy area as well, looking for any hint of white fur that would show them where Bakura was. He bit his lip when nothing immediately showed up, automatically beginning to worry.

They had stopped a ways back, allowing Bakura out of one of the cars and then waiting for a while to give him a head start. Their whole plan hinged on the papers that his brother had, the ones that he convinced the police that he could have found. They had managed to gather the information from the raid on their last lab and, thankfully, it was enough to cause them to be suspicious of anything Yakou was doing. All they needed were those papers. Suddenly, sending Bakura in alone wasn't such a good idea anymore.

"Atemu, over here." Gekkou saw the Pharaoh Hound turn at the sound of his name, leaning around Joey to look out the window, the dog twisting himself to see down the side of the car before he broke out into a huge grin. Gekkou tried to shift to see what was going on, stopping when Atemu sat back into his normal position and pawed at the door.

"Alright, let's go." Gekkou opened the door, jumping out quickly as Joey and Atemu hopped out, looking up the line of cars to where Marik and Seto were clambering out as well, the husky looking especially harried, an expression that made the others laugh. Gekkou shook his head, watching as the officers gathered together, surprised when all the dogs gathered around Atemu. He hesitated between the two groups before walking over to the dogs, knowing that he was essentially useless here.

"They'll drive him out and, knowing Yakou he'll try to escape. We'll have Joey and Marik tracking him down. Seto, you and Valon will be the ones running after him and keeping him down or herding him back." Atemu nodded as he looked over the dogs, tipping his head to the side. Gekkou wondered at the move, slipping around to one side and staring at Seto. Atemu glared at the husky before slowly nodding his head. "Yes, Seto."

"You're fast, Atemu. Why aren't you in this?"

"I can't run, Seto." Atemu snarled at him before limping over, stopping in front of the husky with one paw held off the ground. "I can barely walk. As soon as we get back, I'm not moving for weeks, got it? Take care of your own problems after that."

Atemu limped back over to one of the cars, jumping awkwardly back up into the back seat and lying down with a huff. Gekkou sighed, about to walk over to stay with Atemu when he felt something paw at his leg, staring down at Bakura before taking the folders from his mouth. He missed the look of disgust that the white dog had on his face, walking over to the officers with the papers. Surprisingly enough, his approach was enough to stop their quiet discussion. He glanced down at the ground before looking up at them, passing the folders over.

"You've seen some of my work from the files that you have on me." He shifted nervously as the officers looked through the papers, tensing when they came to something that was obviously not his. In fact, he had never seen that paper in his life. Gekkou quickly skimmed over it before shivering, shaking his head when the police turned to look at him. "That's not mine. It can't be mine. All of my tests are run on rats and stuff unless one of my brother's dogs volunteers."

He resisted the urge to take the paper away, not wanting to stare at it. Gekkou took a step away, watching as the police pored over the papers, talking to themselves. He had to stop himself from interjecting any comments, knowing that it depended on what scanty evidence that they had and not him. The scientist sighed and rocked back on his heels, glancing back at where the dogs were still talking, still making a plan even as the humans debated over the issue. Gekkou narrowed his eyes for a moment before glancing back at the humans.

No matter what, his brother was going to be caught today. Even if he had to send in the dogs alone, something that he was loathe to do, he would get Yakou into custody some how. His conscious shied away from the actual act, but Gekkou feared that Yakou would only be brought down if he was killed, something that would also endanger the dogs. No matter how intelligent they acted or if they were able to change into humans, they would always be viewed as dogs, simply because Yakou had convinced the people that this could be undone. Gekkou balled his hands into fists, realizing something else that he had to do. He had to make sure these dogs were treated right, something that he had been remiss about earlier.

He snapped out of his thoughts as the police turned to him, the officers still muttering among themselves as their leader gave a slow nod, handing the papers back to him. Gekkou happily accepted the papers, his heart pounding faster as the captain spoke. "Your evidence here is shaky."

"I'm aware of that, but it's the only way to prove my brother's guilt and my innocence. There will be more evidence inside that building if we move fast enough." Gekkou bit his lip as the captain gave another slow nod. He wanted to shout at the man in his impatience but reined himself in. "I know that this is toeing the line, sir, but it might be your pet next."

He saw the man's eyes widen before he gave the signal to move out, Gekkou smiling as he watched the dogs slink towards the compound, the men moving with as much stealth as they could muster. The scientist stood by the cars until they had moved away, clutching the papers back to his chest and walking to the car where Atemu was lounging across the back seats, glaring at his paw.

The Pharaoh Hound barely looked up as Gekkou approached, seeming to address his paw. "I've never felt more useless."

"Oh, I know the feeling." Gekkou sat on the ground, leaning back against the car. He spared another glance at the papers before he reached up to scratch Atemu's ear, the calming motion still not distracting the dog from his troubles. Gekkou sighed and shifted to a more comfortable position. "I know that feeling all too well."

* * *

Yakou leaned against his desk, staring at the papers that were scattered across it, his neat piles that he had made yesterday completely messed up. To his knowledge, no one had been in here but him, but he had been out all day, making sure that the preparations for the attack on the traitors would be ready, stalling in case Alister came back with his pack. But, that decision had been a bad one; he should have known better than to assume that Alister would return if he had failed his mission. They were probably still in Domino, waiting for the next chance to strike, which was both good and bad; good because it meant that he had dogs already in Domino watching for his prey, bad because they could get caught. And none of them owed him much loyalty.

He cursed and pushed all of the papers off his desk, spinning around as Dartz peeked into the room, hating himself for losing control around the dog. Yakou pushed the thoughts aside, Dartz was just a stupid animal after all, something to be used for experiments before being thrown away, probably as a corpse. He ran a hand through his hair and then gestured for Dartz to make his report, fingers drumming nervously on the desk top. "We are ready, sir. Moving out on your orders."

"Yes. But first," Yakou fixed him with a glare, "do you know what happened to my office?"

"Your office?"

"Yes, someone has been in here and has stolen…" Yakou stared at the dog, realizing just what had been picked out. Gekkou's papers were missing, a loss that he could take without much trouble. His brother's papers were, after all, completely useless. But a few of his own had been in the mix, namely the type of radiation treatment that he had blamed his brother for publically as well as his own records of the deaths of the dogs under his care in experiments. Everything anyone needed to make a case on him, or guarantee some kind of raid.

Yakou cursed and pushed away from the desk, Dartz scrambling out of his way as he rushed through the hallway. It no longer mattered who had stolen those papers and he knew who they were going to get to eventually, all of which added up to something very bad for him. His main focus now was getting out of this building. But, then again, the dogs were a liability. They would talk if they felt the need and tell anyone everything. Yakou cursed himself for not foreseeing such an event, glancing over his shoulder at Dartz before bursting into the main room. He had to get rid of the pool of witnesses first. "Change in plan, we move out now!"

If all of them were gone before the police came, that would leave him safe to flee and start over. It might also give him the time to destroy the basement of this place, obliterating any signs that he had worked here. Yakou glanced back towards his office, about to rush in there and gather what remained of his papers together when one of the dogs came rushing from the front exit, all of the hubbub quieting down as the dog panted for breath.

"Police, surrounded us. They're coming closer…Why are they here?" Yakou stared at the dog, not caring that the animal was confused. He bolted instead, rushing back to his office and shoved papers into his briefcase, barely taking the time to check that they were all in there before running towards the door that would leave to where his jeep was parked. He would escape that way and start over again, hoping that Gekkou would not pursue him this time.

He fled down the hallway, turning his head to the side as Dartz ran to keep up with him, the dog giving him a look before smiling. "Where are we going boss?"

"We are not going anywhere." Yakou didn't look as Dartz, just swinging his briefcase into the surprised dog's face. Dartz yelped, jumping to the side and stumbling, his awkward movement sending him tumbling down a flight of stairs. Yakou barely looked back, running faster towards the garage. Dartz wouldn't have survived that fall unscathed enough to come after him. And, if his luck was holding out at all, Dartz would be dead.

He lunged for the door to the garage, fumbling with the button to open the door and rushing towards his jeep, coming to a stop as he heard a growl from within the darkness, finding himself staring at an angry white dog. Yakou felt his heart jump into his throat, backing away from the dog as it guarded the jeep, the name of the animal slipping his mind for the moment, but the smirk on its fact told Yakou that reasoning would not work.

"Hello Yakou. Come to lie to us again?" The dog chuckled, Yakou realizing how stupid the animal really was. It was allowing him to back towards the open garage door. Yakou bit his lip to keep from laughing, continuing his charade of being frightened as the dog continued to walk him towards the open door. "You know, it was too easy to sneak in here and steal the papers the first time. Still, even after that, I was able to get back in. Now what does that say about you?"

"Nothing. You are the stupid one." Yakou turned and sprinted from the garage, looking over his shoulder. He was surprised to see the white dog waiting patiently by the door, yawning before sitting down with a shrug. Yakou didn't know how to interpret that, his attention distracted by something more worrying.

A howl came from his right, Yakou turning to look at the dense woods, only then realizing that there was a dog there. He barely had time to think about that when the white dog howled as well, two more howls coming from behind him. Yakou barely hesitated with his next move, sprinting away from the dogs and towards a section of woods. He could always hide himself and climb a tree if something needed to be done.

He victorious smirk disappeared as he heard the sound of paws pounding along the ground, Yakou looking over his shoulder to see a sleek hound running after him, a golden retriever not too far behind. He swallowed nervously before turning and plunging into the woods, flinching as he heard them behind him. Still, he could probably outrun them in here, or at least confuse the trail so much that they wouldn't be able to find them.

Yakou started as he caught a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye, turning his head to see Valon keeping an easy pace with him, the Australian Shepherd moving closer to him. Yakou glanced behind before moving through the forest, away from Valon. Their trap would not work since they could only close it on three sides at most. He would always escape from a trap with any hole in it. And, if he could find the ones who were giving them these commands, he could escape even faster.

Dogs always needed their master to tell them what to do.

He was about to allow himself a short laugh when he heard something bark, turning his head to see a husky charging right at him. Unable to run faster and with no where to turn, Yakou found himself plowed over, the husky pinning him to the ground and growling. Yakou flinched under the angry blue gaze before looking up, his heart pounding faster as he heard the hound begin to howl. That was probably the signal to the police, their trap having worked perfectly. Yakou snarled and began to struggle, Valon having to come and help the husky hold him down.

"If you value your life," the annoyed voice was right next to his ear, the proximity making Yakou shiver, "then you should stop and just let them take you." Yakou made a sound like a whimper, glaring at the dogs before going back to his struggling, gasping when he felt something heavy sit on his lower back, feeling the exhaled breath from the husky. "Joey, you idiot."

"Hey, at least he won't get away now."

"He wasn't going to get away before!" The golden retriever didn't get to offer up any argument, all of the dogs snapping to attention as the humans entered the woods, the police officer praising the dogs before leaning over Yakou, the man gasping for breath as a knee was shoved between his shoulders, forcing him back down to the ground as the dogs stepped away.

"Yakou Tenma, you are under arrest for the abuse of animals in scientific experiments. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say may be used against you in a trial." Yakou was barely paying attention, too busy glaring at the ground of four dogs who were panting happily. All of them mocking him with their smiles.

_

* * *

Please read and review. Constructive criticism is welcome._


	17. Chapter Sixteen

**Chapter Sixteen**

"_In a daring move, police captured a man convicted of inhumane treatment of animals. Yakou Tenma, noted for scientific genius and important advances in that area, had been working with the military to find ways to improve the weapons that were already possessed. Military leaders state that they had no idea that Yakou had been using dogs, either picked up from the street or stolen from families, to experiment on. At this time, they have no statement about Yakou or what exactly he was working on, all they will say is that that wouldn't have supported his work if they had known the truth._

"_Yakou's twin brother, Gekkou Tenma, was the man who had alerted the police to the abuse of the animals and was the one who led the charge against him. In an ironic twist, five of the dogs that Yakou had used for his experiments were the ones who finally caught the scientist. While it is still being debated for whether the testimonies of the dogs can be used in court, the judges say that they already know Yakou's sentence will involve a length of time in jail._

"_Viewers may recognize Yakou from his announcement that he made a few months prior, discussing the radioactive treatment that was preformed on local dogs; then pinning the blame on the workings of his brother. Gekkou Tenma, while not available for interview at this time, says that all the information, except for where the blame lay and the promise to change the dogs back was true. When asked for a single statement, Gekkou had this to say._

"'_I'm sorry for what my brother has done, but that doesn't seem like enough. As of now, I'm going through the files of his papers and sorting through the dogs that I could help. Local vets will be given copies of these files to sort out their own clients. For now, I can only help.'_

"_If you are interested in finding out more about what has happened to your pet or interesting in adopting one of the homeless dogs, call us or visit our website at __www.-__"_

Atemu looked up at the television was turned off, yawning before waving at Mana. She smiled and waved back at him, staring at his bandaged hand. "Still?"

He glanced down at the bandage with a long sigh, resisting the urge to rip it off. Gekkou had put it on him the day of the police raid, demanding that, if he was going anywhere it was as a human. Atemu rolled his eyes and slumped on the sofa, watching Mana get herself ready for work. "A few more days. But it feels fine now."

"Don't you dare take it off, you have your orders."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Hey," Mana glared at him from the door, pointing a finger at him, "no lip from you. It's not my fault that you got hurt. That was your own doing."

"Well excuse me for trying to get back." Atemu tried to look annoyed, but he couldn't help the smile that crossed his face. He stood up and stretched, watching as Mana gathered the last of her things before jerking her head towards the door. "Come on, I have to actually open the shop today, Solomon has something important to do."

"Important?" Atemu tipped his head to the side and walked around the sofa, his question ignored until he and Mana had left the house, the teenager locking the door behind them. Mana took a deep breath of air before starting off in the direction of Solomon's house, only then turning her attention to Atemu's question. "Another vet appointment. Gekkou is looking over Yugi since it's getting close."

Atemu swallowed nervously at that, nodding before looking down at the sidewalk. If he was honest with himself, he still didn't trust Gekkou, but the scientist was their best chance at both Yugi and the puppies surviving. But, as the day grew closer, he found himself getting even more jumpy. Every time Solomon went to see Gekkou, he expected the call of come that today was the day, that nervous feeling lasting well into the night. Atemu was only getting sleep now because he succumbed to exhaustion. And over all of this was the burning need to distract himself with something, to stop worrying because it was putting him too close to the edge.

He glanced over to the side, smiling as he saw Alister splayed out on his porch. The dog looked up as he passed, hesitating before giving a nod of recognition, distracted the next moment by a toddler that waddled over to him, falling over him. Atemu smiled at the sight, Alister shifting to keep the toddler from falling off the porch, but allowing the toddler to do whatever he wished, a look of infinite patience on his face.

The capture of the pack of dogs had never made the news. Valon had led the animal control officers to where they had been hiding, giving the news that Yakou was gone before allowing the humans to go in. There was no struggle, at least not that Atemu believed. To hear Valon tell it, it sounded like he had fought off all of them and saved the officers himself. Atemu rolled his eyes at the memory, the smile still on his face. Still, they were gone within hours of Yakou being put out of business, classified with the rest of the dogs that needed homes.

The people of Domino were more than willing to accept the dogs, but the sheer number had meant that the homeless dogs were spread out around the country, some of them finding their way back to their original homes. Most of them were still waiting in shelters, Atemu feeling sorry for them. Still, it was better than living out on the street with no idea where your next meal was coming from; he still remembered that fear well.

But, at least it was all over. Yakou's lies were being torn apart and the poor dogs who had suffered from them were being placed into homes that would keep them for the rest of their lives. Although there was no talk on what these dogs actually were. Atemu still wore his collar in human form, the bright orange tag showing that he was one of the experiments, but that was all that had been done. Still, it was better to focus on one thing at a time. And, until the moment when what they were and how they were to be treated was actually discussed, Atemu would focus his worry on Yugi.

He looked up as Mana came to a stop, the teenage girl unlocking the door to the house before letting herself in, immediately heading down to the shop. Atemu hesitated before starting for the steps, unsure of what to do since Yugi wasn't here. He was halted by a glare from Mana, shifting nervously in place. "No. You stay up there and relax. If that paw, hand…whatever, isn't better by the time Gekkou said it would be, you will not be leaving the house for a month."

"You're cruel."

"That's life." Mana disappeared down the stairs, Atemu glaring after her before sighing and flopping down on the sofa, staring at Yugi's bed before forcing himself back up again. He had to do something before he went insane from waiting; something that was confined to this house because Mana would be after him if he left. And she called him overprotective. Atemu sighed and got up from the sofa, walking over to the bookshelf and skimming over the titles there. Hopefully there would be something to amuse him.

He picked up a random book, absently flipping through the pages, relaxing at the scent of the book before he settled back down on the sofa, opening and beginning to read. While he wasn't the world's best or fastest reader, it was something to take his mind off the outside world at the moment. Atemu soon lost himself in the book, not caring that it was completely historical. Apparently, he enjoyed it, much to Mana's dismay and Akhnamkanon's amusement. But he couldn't understand why Mana read romance novels, especially when it was basically humans mating. Atemu blushed at that thought and ducked his head. Well, at least no one knew what he and Yugi had done, aside from Valon and Raphael. And Atemu hoped that it stayed that way.

The hours passed quickly, Atemu barely moving from the couch, only stretching out his injured hand and moving it carefully every once and a while as he felt it cramping up. He even barely noticed that Mana had left him food when she had taken her lunch break, picking up the scent and eating it while still paying more attention to his book, something that surprised him later when he looked over and realized the food was gone and then realized that the food would have had to been there in the first place.

Atemu did look up as the phone rang, surprised to see Mana up in the house portion to answer it. A glance at the time showed that she was still on her lunch break, Atemu humming to himself before setting aside the book and taking the plate back into the kitchen. He rolled his eyes at the stance that Mana had taken by the phone, leaning back against the wall and twining the cord between her fingers. He had made the mistake once of telling her that she looked extremely girly like that. Atemu was sure that he had never run so fast in his life; he had barely escaped out the dog door in time.

He cleared his throat, watching Mana glance up at him before he took his plate to the sink, about to start washing it when she gasped. Atemu blinked and turned his head, watching Mana stare off into space before smiling. He had a moment to wonder who was on the other end before Mana let out a loud squeal, Atemu whimpering and pressing his hands to his ears. He glared at the teenage girl, about to remind her about his hearing when she started to jump up and down with excitement, Atemu letting his hands drop from his ears and tipped his head to the side.

"Oh my gosh! That's great! So, what do you want me to do?" Mana bounced in place, a frown crossing her face for a moment before she asked the person on the line to hold on for a moment, rushing to get a pad of paper and a pen, beginning to scribble on it as the person talked. Atemu edged closer, some instinct telling him to be cautious about this. "Alright. Uh-huh. And that's…oh up in the attic, right. No? Storeroom maybe? Okay, I'll see what I can do. No, I think we have that, I'll bring it over here later. Don't worry about it, I don't use it anymore. That it? Alright, I'll get the things set up here and I'll meet you over there. Yes, I'm bringing Atemu. Hopefully this will allow him the time to…Alright. We'll be there as soon as possible."

Mana hung the phone up, Atemu staring at her and waiting for her to tell him what was going on, confused when she stared at her list, frowning and muttering something before looking up at him. "I need you to go up into the attic and grab a few extra blankets and throw them on Yugi's bed and then move it to a corner. Just make sure nothing dangerous is in that corner."

"Why, is something wrong?"

"No." Mana skimmed down the list before shrugging and walking off, Atemu staring after her with his mouth open in shock. He shook his head, despairing of getting a full answer out of her before doing what she said. He pulled Yugi's bed over to the nearest corner, the only one that wasn't near any shelves or the door before climbing the stairs.

It took him a few moments to find the attic, Atemu pacing up and down the hall, staring at the ceiling in the hopes of seeing the door that would lead there. On his third pass he found it, having to jump to grab the rope to pull the ladder down. He muttered to himself as he climbed the stairs, trying not to put too much weight on his injured hand as he climbed, feeling very unsteady because of that. He poked his head into the dusty, dimly lit space with a sigh, suspecting that Mana had assigned him this job only because he was injured. He gave his hand another glare before beginning to search through the boxes in the attic, quickly finding a few blankets and throwing them through the access door to the attic.

At a call from Mana, Atemu stopped his searching and clambered down, letting the ladder and the panel lift back up into the ceiling before grabbing the pile of blankets and walking back into the family room. He spotted the teenage girl waiting for him, staring at the blankets before motioning for him to follow her into the niche where the washer and dryer were, taking the blankets from Atemu and quickly putting them in the wash. Atemu allowed himself to get momentarily distracted by the spinning blankets before looking at Mana. "You never told me what's going on."

Instead of answering, Mana pulled out his leash, Atemu staring at it with his head tipped to the side before raising an eyebrow. Mana rolled her eyes and pulled his injured hand to her, carefully unwrapping the bandage. "I'm taking this off and then we are taking a walk."

"But the store-"

"Is closed for now." Mana threw the bandage over her shoulder before gesturing at him. "Change."

"But you said that I can't-"

"Change!" Atemu yelped, tugging the loose shirt off over his head, relieved when Mana turned around, he fumbled with his pants for a moment before managing to get them off, left standing in his skin tight clothes. He glanced at Mana again before shifting, wincing at the momentary pain before he was back in his dog form, looking up at Mana in confusion. Knowing that she would answer his questions in due time, Atemu held out his paw, allowing Mana to wrap it back up again before tipping his head up, Mana attaching the leash to his collar. "Now, we're going to take it slow, alright? I don't want you limping for longer that you should."

"You could just carry me if you worry so much."

"You're too fat."

Atemu stared at her in disbelief, barely feeling the tug on his leash. It was only when she gave a harder pull that he followed along, shaking his head in disgust. "I'm perfectly fine, thank you very much. It's not my fault that you can't carry me."

He limped out of the house, whining as Mana turned and began walking for the city. He frowned and began walking after her, the two of them forced to move at a slow pace because of his injury. Atemu kept looking around, the old habit of being alert at all times for any attacks was a hard one to break. Still, it served him well when they took a turn towards where the vet's office was, Atemu stopping for a moment. Had Mana and Akhnamkanon made an appointment without telling him?

Atemu sat down, glaring back at Mana as she turned around to stare at him. Another tug was given to the leash, Atemu shaking his head. "I'm not going further until you explain things, Mana. I told you guys that I could handle being told when I was going to the vet, I'm not that squeamish."

"Atemu," Mana stared at him with a look almost of awe, "you're an idiot."

"Excuse me?" Atemu bristled slightly at that.

Mana placed her hands on her hips, glaring at him. "What other excuse would we have for coming here? Use that thing you call a brain."

He stared at her for a long while, his head slowly tipping to the side. As much as he hated to admit it, he was going to have to ask her what this whole thing was all about. Right now, he couldn't think of anything other than Yugi and worry about the condition of his…Atemu blinked at his own thoughts, staring at the building as the realization came to him. He and Yugi went to the same vet, since it was the closest one to them, which meant that Yugi was in there. And what he and Mana had been doing before was very much like making the house ready for puppies.

Atemu was sure his mouth dropped open at that thought, staring at Mana before shaking his head. No, it couldn't be that, it was too soon for anything like that. At least in his mind it was too soon for anything like that. He wasn't ready to be a father. He wasn't ready to take care of the puppies and Yugi and make sure that nothing happened to them. He felt panic welling up, fighting it back down and swallowing nervously.

He wasn't ready for this and, probably, neither was Yugi. But that just meant that he needed to be there for his mate to support him, never mind that they were both probably nervous about this. He stood up, feeling his legs shake as he looked up at Mana, whimpering. "I don't think I'm ready."

"You sound like Dad when I asked him to start teaching me to drive." Mana's smile disappeared as her humor went unnoticed. She sighed and knelt beside Atemu, gently rubbing behind his ears. "Listen, you'll be fine. Yugi needs you in there right now. Just be strong, for him."

"I-I think I can manage that."

"Good." Mana gave the fur on his head a final ruffle before standing up, looking over her shoulder at the building. "Let's go."

Atemu nodded before following her in, nearly pressed up against her legs as they entered the building. He only then noticed how loud his collar was and how noticeable his limp was, forcing himself not to hold his leg off the ground as his habit had become. He ducked to hide behind Mana, horribly aware that he was not completely hidden from sight and that the bright orange tag was in full sight. He swallowed and stared at the front desk, listening to Mana greet some of the people she knew before gently pushing him away from her legs so that she could sit down.

He allowed her to do that, following after her before sitting at her feet, giving into the urge to raise his paw from the ground, casting a quick glance at it before deciding to ignore it for now. Atemu was more disconcerted by the stares that were directed towards him, knowing that it was partially because he was something new to look at in the room and partially because of the orange tag on his collar. He forced himself to look surreptitiously around the room, realizing that all the other dogs didn't have the orange tag, the feeling of unease growing. Of course the owners would look at him as different or deformed, especially since the report that all the dogs like him had some sort of quirk that was brought about by the exposure. Atemu shifted nervously before looking at the ground.

The silence in the room soon had him paying attention to the sounds that came from the rooms where the patients were taken, straining to hear any kind of sounds that would indicate pain, shaking the thought from his head almost immediately. To his knowledge, there was no way for a male to give birth, which worried Atemu. He trusted Gekkou to take care of Yugi, but how was he going to save both Yugi and the puppies if they couldn't be born? Atemu held back a whimper, imagining Yugi in immense pain behind one of the doors. He pinned his ears back against his head and scooted closer to Mana with a shiver. Atemu thought he heard her whisper words of encouragement, but he was too far gone to respond.

Time dragged on, passing much too slow for Atemu's taste. Every moment seemed to be torturous, a chance to imagine more ways for Yugi to be injured or die. The worst was a tie between Yugi blaming him for all of this pain and seeing Yugi wilt as the puppies had to be sacrificed to preserve his own life. The scenarios rushed around in his head until he was sure that either the puppies were dead, Yugi was or both. He barely felt Mana's hand scratching behind his ears or petting his head, staring fixedly at the floor. He did look up as dogs left the rooms and were called in, hoping that it would be Yugi and his mate would be alive, only to be disappointed each time.

It was getting to the point where he couldn't stand it any longer when a Mana stood up, Atemu missing the voice that had attracted her attention. He reacted automatically, standing up and trailing after Mana, head drooping as he continued to lose himself among his own personal nightmares. Atemu did look up when he was led past the two examination rooms into the back, eyes widening. He fought the urge to not move, to make Mana drag him in, not sure if he really wanted to see what was going on back here.

"Ah, there he is." Atemu looked up at the sound of Solomon's voice, attempting to wag his tail, only to let out a whimper and duck his head. He heard the old man approach and leaning over, Solomon gently petting his head. "How is he holding up?"

"Badly. I've barely gotten a word out of him this entire time." He heard the worry in Mana's voice, but couldn't get himself to react to it, glancing around at the kennels that surrounded him without much interest. He jumped as Mana rested at hand on his back, staring up at the teenager before sitting down, unsurprised when Solomon took his leash.

"Well, I think I have something to cheer him up." Atemu responded automatically to the tension on the leash, limping forward as Solomon led him along a row of kennels, surprised when he sees Gekkou leaning against one. Atemu tipped his head to the side, blinking as he stared up at Gekkou. There must have been some reason for that huge smile on the human's face, Atemu slowly pulling himself out of his endless cycle of pessimistic thoughts, realizing something that he had never considered.

What if Yugi had lived?

He was about to ask that question when Solomon unhooked his leash, Gekkou kneeling to open one of the larger kennels. Atemu looked between the two humans before walking towards the kennel, his breath catching as he stared at the occupants. Atemu glanced back at the two humans, his eyes wide as he tried to figure out exactly what this meant. Solomon just laughed and motioned for him to go on in. "You can stay, we'll come and get you guys after the shop has closed."

Atemu smiled before scrambling awkwardly into the kennel, careful to avoid the seven small sleeping lumps in the blanket, picking his way along the outside of the kennel so he could lay down beside Yugi. He settled himself on the floor, hearing Yugi mumble something before moving closer to Atemu, the Pharaoh Hound licking his mate's head before looking over the puppies, smiling at them. They all looked so vulnerable, small little bundles of fur snuggled up against Yugi and tangled over and around each other. Atemu studied them all carefully, counting them multiple times to see if he had gotten the right number the first time before allowing himself to settle. For now, all he was worried about was if they were all there, names would come later.

He perked up as Yugi stirred slightly, the Shiba Inu opening his eyes to stare up at Atemu. It took a while before Yugi actually smiled, gently nuzzling Atemu with a sigh. "Hello."

"Hello. You alright?"

"Yeah." Yugi yawned, eyes flickering shut again as he rested against Atemu. "Stomach hurts a bit, but not much. Sleepy."

"Then sleep."

Yugi shook his head, settling down all the same. "The puppies…"

"Are safe. I can keep an eye on them for you."

Yugi smiled, shifting so his head rested on Atemu's paws. "Thanks."

"No problem." Atemu twisted slightly so he could rest his head on Yugi's shoulders and neck, watching the puppies as they whimpered and kicked in their sleep, smiling at their antics. His gaze only strayed from them to look at his mate, sighing happily. Of all the things that could have come out of that terrifying time before and after his change, he had never imagined this. And he found that he couldn't wish that horrible time away. His smile widened for a moment before he lifted his head to lick Yugi again, drawing a happy noise from his mate before he settled again.

* * *

Yugi woke to a dull pain in his stomach, whimpering before shifting, freezing at the weight that rested on his shoulders. He whined and tried to turn his head, relaxing as the familiar scent of Atemu reached his nose. Yugi sighed and slumped, glancing towards the puppies, most of them awake and whining for food, something that the Shiba Inu hoped that Gekkou brought soon, knowing that there was no way to feed them himself. Yugi glanced towards the front of the kennel before stretching out a paw, blocking the escape attempt of one pup.

Atemu must have felt him shift, lifting his head from where it rested and looking at Yugi, blinking sleepily. "What time is it?"

"The puppies say it's feeding time." They both smiled at that, Yugi glancing down at the bandage on Atemu's paw, considering asking his mate about it when Atemu twisted slightly, staring in awe at the seven squirming puppies.

"Seven…How did you manage seven of them Yugi?"

He ducked his head, a smile crossing his face at the wonder in Atemu's voice. Yugi rested his head on his own paws, watching the puppies make their way clumsily in the space that he allowed them, keeping an eye on them as he spoke. "Actually, I was pretty out of it the entire time. I just remember Gekkou and Solomon discussing it and then waking up here with the puppies. You arriving is just a blur actually."

"So, no pain?"

"Just my stomach." Yugi shot a glance at the patch of fur that had been shaved away and the neat row of stitches there. "But not that much now. I'm expecting more pain later when I have to actively run after this bunch."

"Yugi, they're blind and helpless, they can't be that much trouble." He shot his mate an incredulous look, a bit confused by Atemu's look of surprise. "What?"

"Were you ever around puppies?" Atemu ducked his head, Yugi worried when the Pharaoh Hound remained silent before slowly shaking his head.

"I was a street dog before this, Yugi, I lived by stealing food and proving that I was tougher than other dogs." Atemu sighed and stared up at the ceiling of their kennel. "Of if they could see me now, they would taunt me to no end. But, there weren't many puppies on the streets, it was mostly older dogs. Humans think puppies are cute, Yugi, so they were kept until they stopped being cute and were set out to live on the streets. I can't even remember much about my early life, but I know that I was alone."

"Only one."

"Only one that survived." Atemu looked miserable for a moment before resting his head on Yugi again. "But that's all I remember, the rest is lost completely now."

"Maybe it's for the best."

"Yeah, it probably is." Atemu smiled, Yugi seeing the expression out of the corner of his eye before he moved to block another shuffling puppy.

He was wondering how he was ever going to keep them in line when Gekkou appeared, Yugi wagging his tail as he saw the scientist was carrying the bottles that they needed, shifting slightly upright. Gekkou glanced at the puppies before smiling. "Looks like I got here just in time. A riot stirring within the ranks?"

"Not quite. But close." The front of the kennel was opened, Gekkou reaching in for one puppy before sitting down close to the kennel to feed it, Yugi noticing that Atemu was watching. The Pharaoh Hound scooted closer to the entrance, seeming to try and memorize every action that Gekkou made, Yugi rolling his eyes before finding a comfortable position to rest in. With Atemu here, he felt comfortable enough to take a nap, knowing that someone was making sure that the puppies wouldn't hurt themselves. He was still slightly disoriented from the drugs that had been running through his system.

"You'll have to do with for a while, Atemu, just to help out Solomon." He turned his attention to Gekkou as the man spoke, exchanging puppies before continuing to feed. "Yugi needs to stay as a dog until we can remove his stitches, then you'll get an extra set of hands."

"Alright." Atemu nodded, Yugi tipping over as the Pharaoh Hound moved, grabbing a puppy that had ventured too close to the front of the kennel by the scruff of its neck and placing it back with the others, giving it a nudge when it tried to repeat its adventure. "How hard can it be?"

Yugi and Gekkou exchanged an amused look, both of them deciding to remain silent on this matter. It would be amusing to see Atemu try to deal with seven puppies. Still, Yugi trusted Atemu. The Pharaoh Hound was too protective to do anything to purposefully harm their puppies.

The feeding moved along steadily, Atemu shifting into his human form once to practice, looking scared as he gently held the last of the puppies in his arms and fed it. Yugi smiled at the sight, taking the chance to stretch out as much as he stitches would allow, sighing happily before curling up again, blocking all routes of escape for the puppies as they blundered around. He looked up again as Atemu carefully replaced the puppy before shifting back into his dog form, climbing back into the kennel and resuming his position behind Yugi, the Shiba Inu eagerly leaning back on him. Gekkou hovered at the front of the kennel, looking down at the puppies before settling back. "I'll be back in a few hours for another feeding. Solomon will be coming after he closes the shop to pick you up, Yugi."

"Thank you." The scientist gave a wave before shutting the door and exiting the room, Yugi paying careful attention to the puppies as they writhed around, probably try to get comfortable on their blanket. He tried to figure out the differences between them, subtle or not, but found that he was too occupied just staring in wonder at them. Yugi was sure Atemu was caught in the same position as well. He hummed to himself and glanced over at Atemu. "We'll have to name them."

"Now?"

"I'd like to wait a few days actually. See what they're like when they're settled down, maybe figure out the troublemakers of the bunch." Atemu laughed at that, Yugi tipping his head to one side. "Maybe I'll force them on you."

"That's unfair."

"I put up with them for two months, you can at least watch the troublemakers."

"I was equally as busy. And, as I remember, you lazed around for two months."

"Carrying puppies is hard work. It's exhausting."

"I believe you. But I'm afraid that it is just becoming an excuse for you."

Yugi huffed, pouting playfully as he rested his head on his paws. "Spoil sport."

"Oh, but you love me."

"Very much, sadly. Darn you and your good looks."

"And charm?"

"And charm." Yugi nodded slowly, pretending to think over something before shaking his head. "And nothing else. Now watch the puppies, I'm going to try and sleep of the last of this stuff."

"But Yugi, I'm tired."

"Then talk to Gekkou. Tell him you want to deliver the puppies next time." Yugi laughed as he felt Atemu shiver at that thought, the Pharaoh Hound joining in his laughter a moment later. The Shiba Inu yawned, feeling Atemu gently lick his muzzle.

"Go on, Yugi, I'll watch them."

"Thank you, Atemu." Yugi snuggled closer, shifting a bit to have his legs blocking the most used escape routes, hoping to make Atemu's job a little bit easier. "Love you."

"Love you too."

_

* * *

_

_Alright, the next chapter is the last one. A nice wrap up to this story._

_Please read and review. Constructive criticism is welcome._


	18. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

"Serenity!" Joey dashed into her room, trying to hide under the bed. He panted for breath, listening to her laugh before giving up the idea of hiding under the bed, instead cowering in the small space between the corner and the dresser. "Mai is torturing me."

"What is it this time?"

"She's trying to put a bow on me." Serenity was silent for a while, her head turned in his direction before she stood up and walked over to the door, leaning out of it.

"Mai?"

"Yes?"

"Are you trying to but a _bow_ on _Joey_?"

"Yes." The blonde appeared, Joey leaning momentarily out of his hiding spot before cramming himself back in, praying that Mai hadn't seen him. It annoyed him that he couldn't see her face, but he decided it was better to remain hidden. "It's for that charity picnic event."

"Mai…"

"It's festive and it shows our support."

"Mai, Joey's a boy."

There was a pause, Joey resisting the urge to growl as the silence seemed to go on too long, the sound dying in his throat as Mai finally spoke up. "Fine. A bandana then."

"There you go." Serenity almost skipped back to her bed, jerking her head in Joey's direction. "He's over there."

"Traitor!" Joey realized he was trapped, staring up at Mai with wide eyes before she grabbed his collar and began dragging him out of the room.

"Mai, hold on a moment." Joey was ready to thank the heavens when Serenity called the halt, beaming up at the young woman as Serenity seemed to ponder something. "Just make sure that it won't interfere with the harness. I don't want anything to rub since we're going to be out there a while."

"Of course." He whimpered as he was dragged from the room; Serenity coming to the door again.

"Come on, Joey, it's not that bad."

Of course it wasn't, at least, not to her. She couldn't see the stupid bandana that Mai would pick out for him. She didn't have to put up with the stares from the other dogs and the laughter that would come. He sulked as he was dragged into the main room, sitting on the floor and pouting as Mai ran up to her room.

Knowing Mai, it would be pink.

He shuddered at the idea, glancing up the stairs and contemplating running to Tèa for help. But there was a better chance that he would be caught by Mai. And Tèa never took his side in anything anyway. He was on his own.

Joey curled up on the floor, hoping that someone would stop by and see him looking miserable. After all, he was a poor abused dog; a dog who had risked life and limb to return to his blind owner because she had needed him. A dog who had fought against the forces of evil to free his own kind and bring down an evil scientist. He was the dog who had stood by his owner and her friends for months now, allowing himself to be dragged around nearly everywhere and protecting them from harm when they pulled all nighters for their classes. He had even cooked them breakfast a few times. And this was how he was treated.

A bandana.

Of all the torturous things only a bow was worse.

Joey sighed again, rolling onto his side and staring at the door, knowing that when he heard footsteps on the stairs it was too late. His dignity was about to leave forever. Joey gave another melodramatic sigh, looking hopefully up at Tèa as she avoided him, the brunette looking at him before shaking her head. Tèa turned to yell up the stairs, Joey fixing her with a glare. "You're right, Mai, he's just sitting down here moping."

"Looking like a condemned man?"

"Exactly like that."

Joey flinched at the good natured laughter, staring balefully up at Tèa before sitting up, listening to Mai come down the steps. Mai held a square of fabric in her hands, Joey surprised that it was green before she folded it in half and wrapped it around his neck, tying it. She hummed to herself and twisted it one way and then another before sitting back, holding Joey still. "Tèa, does this look alright to you?"

Tèa paused in the middle of reaching for something in the fridge, glancing as Joey before shrugging. "Looks great."

Mai still didn't seem too sure. "Serenity? Do you think green would look good on Joey?"

"Green?" Serenity walked out of her room, her hand occupied with pulling her long red hair up into a pony tail. She finished with that task, tipping her head to the side before nodding slowly. "Yeah, I think so."

"Alright!" Mai beamed and patted him on the head, Joey still sulking. He stood up automatically as Mai brought over his harness, quickly securing it on him before stepping back and nodding. "Perfect. All ready to go!"

Joey ducked his head, leading Serenity out of the house and ignoring all the giggling females. It would be torture, he just knew it.

* * *

Ryou watched as Bakura paced past the porch again, shaking his head before returning his gaze to the street. Amane would be home from school soon, Landon was picking her up. The girl could now move about, although her arm was in a cast and her foot in boot, but she had wanted to go back to school as soon as possible. Ryou smiled at the memory of that, glancing over at Bakura. The smaller white dog and looked at her and called her a geek. Mere moments later, Bakura had been on his back with a look of extreme happiness as Amane scratched his stomach. Even the tough Bakura had his weak spots.

He perked up as the car came around the corner, making it safely into the driveway. Bakura immediately pretended to be searching through the small front garden, Ryou knowing that everyone could see through the act. Ryou stood up, walking over to the car as Landon got out, quickly rushing around to the back seat to help Amane out. Ryou just leapt up into the car, carefully extracting Landon's briefcase before walking back towards the house, noticing that Bakura was watching as Amane was carefully helped from the car.

The girl smiled, walking a bit unsteadily into the house and up the stairs, her father helping her the entire way. Ryou watched long enough to be sure that they were safe before ambling into Landon's study and placing the briefcase down, walking back out into the main house to see Bakura coming in, the white dog stretching at the door before bounding up the stairs, muttering something about checking the perimeter. Ryou shook his head and wandered into the kitchen, knowing that Bakura would be nearly asleep as Amane scratched him in a few moments.

He looked up as Landon walked into the kitchen, checking the calendar as he stood by the fridge, Ryou hesitating between letting Landon cook and offering his own services. While Landon wasn't bad, there was a limit to what he could cook, and they had reached that limit within a week of Amane returning to the house. It had surprised Ryou that he was so good at cooking, but he had quickly taken over the job, with the excuse that it would give Landon more time for his job and visits to the hospital. In truth, Ryou had tired of hamburgers after the second night.

"Victoria comes home tomorrow." The words snapped Ryou out of his thoughts, the cocker spaniel wagging his tail happily. It would be good to have Victoria home, although she would be confined to her bed or the couch. Still, it would mean that his entire family was back at home, where they belonged. His tail increased speed for a moment before he tipped his head to the side, watching Landon run a hand through his hair.

"Long day at work?"

"Yeah. I swear, I teach a class of idiots." Landon sighed before walking into his office, Ryou following him in concern. While Landon was better, Ryou still thought that the man was pushing himself too hard. Although, it gave Landon something other to do than worry. Ryou tipped his head to the side, glancing up before shaking his head.

"I'll cook tonight."

"You don't have to."

"I want to." He moved towards the door, pausing for a moment. "I'll just check on Amane and Bakura, make sure those two aren't getting into trouble."

Landon laughed at that, leaning back in his chair and stretching. "Can't trust them."

"I know. Amane is a bad influence on Bakura." Ryou left the room to the sound of Landon laughing, the sound not as forced as before. He hummed quietly to himself as he bounded up the stairs, smiling as he heard a voice coming from Amane's room, peeking through the door.

Bakura was sprawled out on the bed in his human form, having pulled on sweatpants and a t-shirt, Amane cuddled up to him. He was holding a book in front of the both of them, reading as Amane followed the words on the page. Ryou shook his head before sitting on the ground, tipping his head to the side as he listened to Bakura read to the girl.

"'Dam-Darn it!' Arnold said, punching buttons on the console. 'It's all screwed up.'

"Muldoon was standing at the windows, looking out at the park. The lights had gone out all over the island, except in the immediate area around the main buildings. He saw a few staff personnel hurrying to get out of the rain, but no one seemed to realize anything was wrong. Muldoon looked over at the visitor's lodge, where the lights burned brightly.

"'Uh-oh,' Arnold said. 'We have real trouble.' I know you're out there Ryou." Bakura didn't even look up from the book, Amane the one to glance up and pet an empty spot on the bed. Ryou bounded into the room, jumping up onto the bed and settling down, mock glaring at Amane.

"Homework first."

The girl blushed. "I know, but we had only a few more pages until the end of the chapter when it was time to quit for the night. I just want to finish the chapter, promise."

Ryou faked a grumble before settling down, staring at the title of the book before shaking his head. Only Bakura would pick _Jurassic Park_ to read to a fifth grader. Of course, it was funny to watch Bakura try to edit the language, Amane perfectly capable of reading the words herself. Still, it was part of a ritual that she and Ryou had set up before and Bakura had been allowed in on. Amane and Ryou would take turns reading a book to the other, just because it guaranteed more time spent together.

He closed his eyes and listened as Bakura finished up the chapter, nearly falling out of the bed as he leaned to place the book on the nightstand. Ryou didn't open his eyes as he spoke, hearing Bakura move about the room at Amane's request to grab her backpack. "What book is next?"

"Well, Bakura said there was this really interesting one and I wanted to read it too."

"Which is?"

"_The DaVinci Code_."

Ryou opened on eye, staring at Bakura as the man shrugged before letting it drop. Amane was a voracious reader and he wouldn't stop her. He would just steer her around the parts of the book not quiet appropriate for her. While he hadn't read the book, Bakura probably had, which meant that he could tell her to skip the bad parts. Ryou yawned before stretching, glancing at the clock before deciding that he could spend about an hour with Amane before going to start their dinner.

And speaking of dinner…"What do you guys want to eat?"

Both Amane and Bakura spoke at the same time. "Anything but hamburgers."

"Can do." Ryou laughed before curling up at the foot of the bed, Bakura flopping into whatever free space he could find, absently flipping through Amane's textbooks as she began to work. The room was silent aside from the sound of Amane's pencil moving across the paper and the sound of Bakura as he made comments on something that he found. Ryou looked at the both of them, shifting so he could use Bakura's leg as a head rest, ignoring the protests of the human. "Sh, my pillow."

"Ryou, I'm not a pillow!"

"Yes you are. Now quiet, Amane is working on her homework. We shouldn't disturb her." Bakura stared at him before grumbling, eventually reaching down to scratch behind Ryou's ears, drawing a happy sigh out of the Cocker Spaniel. Ryou shifted a bit to have Bakura's fingers reach a particular spot, his hind leg twitching a bit in pleasure before he settled down, watching as Amane continued to work on her homework, Bakura seeming to get lost in his own thoughts until Amane called on him for help, Ryou watching the two.

It was strange seeing Bakura like this, almost caring and without his usual gruffness. But, then again, it was strange to even have Bakura here. Many things were strange about this whole arrangement, but Ryou didn't want to think about him. He had once taken his family for granted, then the crash had happened and then Yakou had demanded that he had to leave. And, suddenly, he couldn't take anything for granted. It was a hard lesson to learn, but a precious one once learned properly. He would forget be looking upon scenes like this and storing them away in his memories for the time when life decided to strike at him again.

But for now…"Bakura, it's the other way around."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Prove it!"

"Page 326, bottom. It's in the caption." There was the sound of pages fluttering, Ryou and Amane sharing at smile before they both glanced at Bakura, watching him mouth the words before staring at the page. "Was I right?"

"It's the other way around Amane." Ryou snickered at that, knowing that Bakura would never admit that he was wrong, and he wouldn't press Bakura to. The Cocker Spaniel stretched, giving himself a shake before ambling down the stairs to start dinner.

* * *

Seto watched the ball arc through the air, staring at it as it bounced along the grass before coming to a stop. He turned to look at Noa before looking at the brightly colored ball, shaking his head. "No."

"Come on, Seto, other dogs do it."

"I am not 'other dogs'." Seto sniffed, looking down his muzzle at the ball. "Besides, you're procrastinating."

"But it's _Friday_! I don't have school until Monday. Why should I do my homework now?"

"So you have more time over the weekend to enjoy your free time." Seto held back a laugh as Noa pouted, the boy storming over to the ball and picking it up, bouncing it on the ground every once and a while. "You know I'm right."

"Which is why I'm not listening to you. Your ego is already big enough without me feeding it."

Mokuba laughed from his place at the table on the porch, pointing a pencil at his cousin. "Good one Noa!"

Seto growled as Noa took a bow, shifting on the ground before nodding. "Indeed. Touché, Noa."

He walked over to the side of the pool, stretching out on the cool concrete with a sigh of relief. Summer was fast approaching, the heat almost too much for him to bear. Some part of him said that he should go back inside and enjoy the air conditioned house, but he still wanted to watch the boys, even if that strictly wasn't necessary anymore.

"Hey Dad, am I doing this right?"

Aknadin looked up from his book at Mokuba's question, shifting his chair over to look over the black haired boy's work, nodding to himself before shaking his head, tapping a certain part of the page. "You forgot to add the number you carried. Be careful with that."

"Oh," Mokuba blushed, flipping his pencil in his fingers and hurriedly erasing his work, "right."

"Numbers are tricky things." Aknadin laughed along with Mokuba, returning part of his attention to his book, but Seto could tell that the man wasn't really paying attention. Most of Aknadin's attention was on his son and nephew, making Seto's job almost completely obsolete. Aknadin had slowly started to do this, spending time with the two boys as the company settled down, becoming visible around the house again. It surprised Seto how much Aknadin tried to spend time with his son and nephew, Seto having previously thought that Aknadin didn't care.

For once, he was glad to be wrong. Aknadin's increased presence had brought a welcome change to the house. Mokuba was more confident and stopped having so many nightmares. Noa, while still belligerent, wasn't fighting as much or getting better at hiding it. Seto still had to figure out how to boost the boy's work ethic, something that was greatly reduced. But it was a start at least.

"Noa, you should listen to Seto."

"But Uncle Aknadin," Noa whined, flopping on the grass, "he's our dog! If anything, he should listen to us. And I don't want to do my homework! It's too nice outside to study."

Mokuba stuck his tongue out at Noa, the gesture returned by his cousin before Noa leaned back on the ground, staring at the sky above him. Seto raised his head from the cool concrete, carefully watching Noa before settling back down, shifting so more of his body rested against the cool surface. Even with nearly constant brushings by the boys and some of the mansion staff, he was amazed that he still had enough fur to feel like he was being stifled. For once, he envied Atemu and Marik, allowing the thought to linger for a moment before dismissing it.

He perked up as he heard Noa stand up, the boy pulling off his shirt before rushing towards the pool. Seto had only a moment to think over the action before Noa jumped in, Seto scrambling to his feet too late to avoid the wave of water that splashed over him, the husky glaring at Noa. The boy just laughed, floating on his back. Seto turned his head to glance at Mokuba, noticing that Mokuba was laughing as well, Aknadin hiding his amusement better than the two boys. Seto gave himself a shake, enjoying the cool sensation of the water before turning to glare at Noa, watching the boy cringe for a moment before rushing towards the pool himself, jumping into the water.

Seto bobbed up to the surface, paddling serenely over to the steps before smiling back at Noa, the shock still evident on Noa's face. Seto shrugged and slipped off the steps, paddling around the pool. "Maybe you were right, Noa. A swim does sound good."

"He got you again, Noa." Mokuba nearly fell out of his chair laughing, Aknadin reacting without looking up from his book, reaching out to steady his son. Seto glanced over at them, continuing his lap around the pool. He kept an eye on Noa as the boy splashed in the shallower end, completely a second lap and contemplating a third when Noa got out of the pool, Seto jumping up the steps after him. The husky waited until he was standing beside Noa to shake himself off, ignoring the protest from the boy before sauntering over to a good grassy spot and flopping down, panting happily.

Noa soon followed him, flopping down onto the ground and giving his head a shake, Seto ignored the water that landed on him. There was an annoyed huff from Noa before the boy lay back, using Seto as a pillow and staring up at the clouds. The husky smiled to himself, ready to drift off into a doze when Noa spoke in a low voice. "I promise I'll run in and start my homework, just let me dry a bit. The maids will kill me if I drip on their floors."

Seto gave a soft grunt of agreement, knowing that the maids were ferocious creatures whenever their cleaning got messed up. He had snuck around the house, in the most dignified manner possible, often when they were on the war path, most of those times Noa had something to do with that. He also knew that he wouldn't be going back in the house soon either, at least not until he had been towel dried within an inch of his life. Once again, he envied Atemu and Marik for having short fur, but the smile quickly returned to his face. He had the advantage on the colder days of the year. It was his own version of revenge to watch them shiver, or laugh at the coat that Marik wore proudly, saying that they were signs that his family loved him. Personally Seto thought loved was too strong a word. Marik was something to be put up with, not loved.

"But don't tell Mokuba, alright?"

"Promise."

"Right. Because I have a reputation to uphold."

"Of course you do." Seto shifted slightly, Noa laughing as he wrapped his arms around the dog's neck in a hug.

"You're no fun, Seto."

"I'm no supposed to be. Toys are fun."

"But you're fluffy."

Seto opened one eye to stare at the boy before closing it again. "Not talking to you anymore."

"My fluffy Seto." Noa laughed and snuggled closer, Seto making sure to act like he barely allowed the move, really enjoying the closeness with the boy.

"Sure, whatever. Trying to sleep."

* * *

Malik looked over at the door as it opened, revealing Marik and Mahad, the man looking exhausted. Marik, on the other hand, looked just as energetic as he had been when they had left. The Vizla was let off the leash, Marik bounding over to flop next to Malik, cuddling up to him and showering him with his usual endearments. Malik rolled his eyes and put up with it, nearly immune to it now. Of course, he thought he was beginning to like it, something that he was trying to resist and failing.

He did growl when Marik crawled under his blanket, the other dog settling comfortably so only his noise was peeking out, Malik glaring at him before getting out and walking into the kitchen, preferring to listen to Ishizu and Mahad talk instead of sitting with Marik. He paused at that thought, wondering when he had changed from putting up with Marik to something else. He shook his head and sat down near Mahad, secretly hoping for some table scraps and he and Ishizu talked, covering the normal boring human stuff.

Malik peeked under the table, looking at Ishizu's stomach. If he remembered correctly, she was maybe five months along, Malik not really knowing when the baby would be born. He had tried to pay attention to that stuff, but ended up fainting along with Mahad when they had watched the shows on television. Marik, strangely enough, had looked worse for the wear, not enjoying the sight as much as Malik suspected that he would. Still, Marik had managed to be the only one to stay upright, something that Ishizu had loved him for. She had been in one of those moods that night and threatened to take Marik to the hospital with her instead of Mahad. Marik had taken that chance to hide under Malik's blanket again.

He looked hopefully up at Mahad, watching as the man sneaked a glance as Ishizu before offering a bit of meat to him, Malik quickly swallowing it. Both of them put on their best innocent faces as Ishizu glared at them. Malik suspected that he and Mahad needed a new ploy to keep from being yelled at. Marik would probably come in handy there, seeing as Ishizu seemed to favor him at the moment. But that meant sharing with Marik. Malik was already sharing his bed, his house, his food and, the most outrageous of all, his blanket with the other dog. What more could Marik want?

He huffed and settled down, disappointed when dinner ended with no other scraps. Malik slunk back into the living room, watching as Ishizu and Mahad settled down for a few hours of television, disappointed when they turned on the news. Apparently, nothing fun was on tonight. He sighed and scratched behind his ear, shooting a glare at Marik as the dog peeked out from under his blanket, staring at the television before wagging his tail.

Malik found himself walking over, despite the fact that everything told him not to. Deciding that it was for the best and he could at least get part of his blanket back, he settled beside Marik, the two of them watching the images on the screen flicker without much interest.

"Malik-pretty should come on more walks. It's fun."

"Why do you still call me that?"

Marik grinned. "Because it's fun. And you make the funniest face when I say it."

Malik schooled his face into a blank expression, trying to ignore Marik. The Vizla just shifted around, about to rest his head on Malik's back, earning a half hearted growl from Malik. "Do it and I will rip your face off."

The Vizla tipped his head to the side, seeming to think about it before shrugging and resting his head on Malik's back. For a moment, Malik was tempted to carry of his threat. Then he remembered that he would be yelled at not only for killing Marik, but for getting blood on the floor. And, honestly, ripping Marik's face off wasn't his highest priority at the moment. Malik ignored the fact that it felt good to be so close to Marik, reminding himself that he was just acting this way to lure Marik into his trap, realizing that he had yet to figure out what that trap was.

Still, he grumbled a bit before settling down, telling himself to ignore the smile that crossed Marik's face and the happy wiggle he gave. He could survive if he told himself that all was going according to his plan. It was in his best interest to keep Marik happy and then, when he wasn't looking, steal back the most important thing. His blanket.

Malik smirked, lowering his head between his paws so that his muzzle could rest on the pink and teal fabric, a silent promise that it would be his again. Marik would pay for stealing it from him, until then he would plot and ignore the fact that having Marik resting against him was probably the best feeling in the world.

* * *

Atemu bounded into the shop just before Solomon shut the door, smiling sheepishly at Yugi. The Shiba Inu sat down on the ground, tipping his head to the side. "Sorry, Yugi, I got held up at home."

"Well, at least you got here." Yugi smiled, standing up as Solomon began to slowly walk off. He glanced back at the stairs before giving Atemu a worried smile. "They're all upstairs. Please make sure they get a nap in sometime and that they finish their dinner."

"Yugi…"

"I know. I know." Atemu walked over, nuzzling Yugi as the Shiba Inu continued to glance up at the stairs. "But I worry."

"They'll be fine, I'm not completely incompetent."

"I know you're not." Yugi finally stood up, giving an apologetic smile to Solomon before following the elderly man out the door, Atemu walking over to the glass door of the shop.

"Have a nice walk!" He managed to get the phrase out before the door shut behind Solomon, the man waving before he locked the door, Yugi giving the house one more long look before following Solomon. Atemu sighed, stretching before turning to walk toward the stairs. It was the first time in a long time that Yugi had gotten to go on his nightly walk, the little dog should get a chance to enjoy it instead of worrying over the puppies as he had been doing since they were born. Atemu chuckled to himself and bounded up the stairs, enjoying the feeling of having his paw unbound, Gekkou having given him the go ahead to remove the bandage.

He reached the top of the stairs, pausing before moving into the room. His ears pricked forward as he heard no sound, tipping his head to the side in confusion. Yugi would have warned him if the puppies were asleep, unless they had all fallen asleep during their short exchange. Atemu blinked in confusion before venturing out into the room, glancing around at all the usual place, his eyes widening as he saw that the bed was empty. The only good sign was that the toys were still scattered about the room and the puppies' scent was still fresh.

"Daddy!" The cry came before the charge, Atemu halfway through a turn, so he was off balance when all seven puppies rushed to meet him. He went down with a yelp of surprise, closing his eyes as the puppies clambered all over him, rolling onto his stomach and waiting for them to settle down. It was only then that he opened his eyes, counting four squirming pups in front of him and feeling three still climbing on him. He huffed and tried to glance over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of gold colored fur before staring forward.

"Iras, Pentu, I am not a toy." He heard whimpers from the two pups, the female and male sliding from his back and shuffling over to where the others sat, ducking their head and muttering, "Sorry Father."

He smiled at them to show that he wasn't as angry as he sounded, counting them again and blinking when he came up one short. Atemu repeated the process, frowning when the number remained the same. "Where's Tjety?"

"Here Father." Atemu had to keep himself from jumping back in surprise as Tjety peered down from on top of his head, Atemu smiling before lowering his head so the puppy could slide down from his perch, happily bounding to join his brothers and sisters. A few entertained themselves with a wrestling match as Atemu got up, glancing down as the smallest of the litter sidled up to him, looking up at him with wide purple eyes.

He laughed and continued walking to the kitchen, glancing at the bowl that usually held the puppies' food, smiling as he found it empty. He went to turn back around, carefully stepping over Nefer, almost tripping over the small female. Atemu caught himself before glancing down at her, the puppy whimpering and curling up into a ball. "Sorry, Father."

"Oh, Nefer." He sat down, shaking his head with a fond smile on his face. "What are we going to do with you? Come on, let's rejoin your brothers and sisters."

Atemu picked her up by the scruff of her neck, walking back into the other room to see most of the puppies still wrestling, hearing Nefer whimper and shrink back with a shiver. "Can you tell us a story, Father? Before bed?"

He carefully set her down on the ground, stretching out himself before nodding. Neferu gave a happy yip before scurrying off to join her sisters, Iras and Sitre as they tackled one of their four brothers to the ground, Atemu laughing as he watched them play, only interfering when the play got too rough. He hoped to tire them out enough for them to fall asleep, allowing himself to be climbed over in the process.

Atemu turned to watch as Tjety and Pentu tumbled down his side again, the two of them laughing. "Having fun?"

"Yes, Father."

"You promised a story!" The females bounded over, Atemu finding himself following their bouncing with his eyes and wondering where they got all of the energy from. Part of him said that they inherited it from Yugi. "Story, Father, please."

"I thought you said before bedtime."

"Story now!" All seven of the puppies had gathered in front of him, staring at him. Atemu fully blamed Yugi for their ability to make their eyes seem larger. It seemed to be his only weakness towards him, though why it didn't work on Yugi he would never understand.

"Promise to be asleep by the time Yugi gets home?" All the puppies nodded frantically. Atemu sighed and stood up. "Alright."

"YAY!" The puppies bounded over to the bed, Atemu picking his way over them before flopping on the bed, suddenly feeling old when faced with all of their energy. He had little time to wonder about that before the puppies swarmed him again, all of them finding comfortable places to lay down, eventually forming into the usual mass that they slept in, bright eyes peering at him as he lay there watching them. He quickly shook himself out of his reverie and began talking, manipulating a fairy tale so that his children would understand it.

It was sad in a way that the puppies were just dogs, but it was better than what their parents were, although Atemu was sure that it wouldn't bother them. It was better this way, they would get to live out a normal life without worrying about the things that humans worried about, which Atemu was finding out was a lot. And he suspected that they would live better lives for it. He was sure that even more diseases or disabilities would begin to show up in the radiation treated dogs, meaning that he and Yugi might have shorter lives than normal.

Still, it was nothing too horrible. He had everything that he had ever wanted, and a bit more. Although, he was eagerly awaiting the moment when he could spend more time with Akhnamkanon and Mana, as he was basically living with Yugi now. He had even gotten a talk from Akhnamkanon, incredibly confused the entire time.

He trailed off as he realized that all the puppies had fallen asleep, smiling to himself before carefully pushing them slightly apart so they wouldn't break into a fight when they all woke up. He sighed and stretched out himself, perking up as the side door to the house opened. He didn't bother to turn around to see who had come in, the faint jingle of the collar and familiar scent of his mate told him enough. "You're back early."

"Yugi wouldn't stop worrying about the puppies, so we cut it short. Maybe a longer walk next time." Solomon bent down to unhook the leash from Yugi's collar, the Shiba Inu bustling over to where Atemu and the puppies were, carefully checking over all of them before looking at Atemu.

"How long?"

"A few minutes maybe." Atemu smiled at Yugi, watching as his mate quieted one of the puppies before curling carefully on one side of the bed, resting his head on Atemu's paws. "See, I'm not such a horrible father."

"Never said you were. You're probably better than me."

"I'm not."

"Well, then, we're both equally as bad." Yugi smiled. "I'm not that sleepy actually, but I know I should, especially for when those terrors wake up, but I don't want to. How long has it been since I got to just spent time with you?"

"Too long." Atemu licked Yugi's muzzle, smiling when his mate shifted closer.

"Can you hold up for a few more weeks?"

"Sure." Atemu moved back from the puppies, allowing Yugi to snuggle up next to him, cleaning his mate's face with slow strokes of his tongue, feeling Yugi relax under the attention. He settled for nuzzling Yugi, delighting in the smell of his mate and listening to the soft sighs that came form him. "For you, Yugi, I would wait forever."

"Me too, Atemu. Me too."

END

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_What Bakura reads to Amane is from page 176 of Jurassic Park._

_And it ends on more teeth rotting fluff. I hope you guys enjoyed this story._

_Please read and review. Constructive criticism is welcome._


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